The Dream Devourer
by SolaShines
Summary: Chiisai is just another villager in Konoha. With no ninja skills, the woman spends her days with little excitement. That is, until she is attacked. Sick with a concussion, the elite ninja known as Hatake Kakashi volunteers as her caretaker. Why does he want to help this woman, and why does he get the feeling that something lurks behind that innocent face?
1. Chapter 1

*Author's Note**_This is my first time ever doing this, so I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. I guess we'll find out, won't we? Also, there are a few parts that aren't rated PG, such as mild language and mild sexual content (though nothing happens...At least not yet) Just thought I'd throw that out there just in case*_

The only reason he ever noticed her happened because he didn't. He had been talking to Gai, trying to turn down another rival challenge. In his efforts to end the conversation, Kakashi had turned to walk away. Unfortunately, he turned right when she was walking past him.

He grabbed her shoulders, his touch cold against her bare skin. "Ah, sorry. You okay?" Kakashi asked nonchalantly as he straightened her stumbling frame. He removed his hands as she blinked in surprise. She smelled like books.

The woman took her eyes away from his green vest and tilted her head up. The jonin was more than a head taller than her, with only one eye visible against his fabric-cladded face. "Yeah, no worries," her voice was lighthearted as her lips spread into a smile. She was about to turn away when something caught her eye.

Might Gai peeked over Kakashi's shoulder slowly, seizing the girl up. His eyes widened, his bushy eyebrows shot up as he stepped out from behind his friend. He pointed a finger at her dramatically, his voice raised by the excitement he couldn't contain.

"So full of youth and so adorable! Konoha needs more girls like you!"

She let out a hesitant laugh. "Thanks, but I'm older than I look."

Guy let out a gasp. "Really?! Let me guess!" He squinted his eyes as he leaned down, stroking his chin in thought. "Eighteen?"

She shook her head with a laugh.

He then went around, eyeing her as if he was trying to find a price tag on a piece of clothing. "Seventeen-no, nineteen?!"

She opened her mouth, but Gai cut her off as he stepped closer to her.

"TWENTY!" He shouted. Before she could speak, Gai stepped even closer, causing the woman to lean back. "TWENTY-"

Now it's Kakashi's turn to cut Gai off. "Twenty seven," he peered down at her evenly as he yanked his friend by the collar, pulling him back like an eager puppy.

"Twenty-six, but close."

"Aha! Even my eternal rival couldn't guess!" the overly-youthful ninja grinned. Kakashi just shrugged, showing no interest at all.

Might Gai blinked down at the short woman in front of him, putting a hiatus on his fist pump. "You look familiar. Kakashi, doesn't she look familiar?" He turned to his friend, who only shrugged in response. Both now study the woman, much to her growing unease.

The breeze picked up, lifting her hair up and around her face. Her hand pushed the long brown strands back as she said, "We both jog early in the morning. You pass me at least three times."

He let the words sink in as the woman fingered through her hair. He looked her up and down once more before his eyes lit up. "That's right! You're the one with the nice-" He straightened abruptly as Kakashi and the woman frowned at him. "…Form! You have excellent running form!" Guy thrusted his hand out to her. "I'm Might Gai, the Green Beast of Konoha! And you are?"

She cautiously took his hand as he shook hers firmly. "Chiisai. Nice to meet you."

"Chiisai, even cuter!" He grinned. Gai wrapped his arm around Kakashi's neck, yanking him toward himself. "And this is my eternal rival, Kakashi!" He jutted a thumb at Kakashi, who shared no humor in the situation.

She let out a laugh before observing the ninjas in front of her. One an excited loquacious extrovert, the other a relaxed, unamused introvert. She decided out loud, "You two are an odd pair," though she already knew more about them then she let on. Her dark eyes now wandered to the sky, where the Sun began to set in an array of pinks and golds. "Well, I have to go, but it was nice meeting you." She gave them one last smile before resuming down the street. Both Gai and Kakashi watched her hips sway until she turned the corner.

"Nice form, huh?" Kakashi muttered to his friend, who still had his arm around him.

"Yep," Gai nodded in response. Suddenly, the green beast of Konoha yanked his friend even closer, nearly choking him in a headlock. "So what about that challenge, eternal rival?!"

The second time he noticed her was at the bookstore. He was in his favorite genre section, peering through the shelves in search for a book he hadn't already read. He stepped into the next aisle to see her small frame against the shelf, looking intently at a scandalous book. Kakashi stood there for a minute, taking in the way her hair hung over her face as her forehead was pressed against the wooden shelf.

Her head was down, body hunched, oblivious to all around her as she read each sentence. Today she had on a plain grey jacket that her body was drowning in. It was at least two sizes too big for her, almost coming down to her knees. In contrast, her toned legs fitted nicely against her dark pants.

She let out a sigh, pulling him out of his observations. Kakashi finally walked up to her, noticing the familiar book in her hand. "You don't seem the type of girl who enjoys BDSM books."

Startled, she lifted her head up, her body straightening. "Oh, hey." She stopped and squinted at him. "…Your name has something to do with farming?"

"Kakashi."

"Right!" She took one last glimpse at the book before putting it back on the shelf. Turning to him, she scratched her head and said, "I'm trying to read a book from a different genre each week. It's just hard to find something not so erotic." Her voice showed a hint of frustration.

"Then what kind of romance?" He could help in this expertise.

She placed a hand on her hip, shifting her weight to the other foot. She nodded to herself before saying, "Cheesy. Awful cheesy romance."

Kakashi nodded before strolling past her. She watched him stop as his hand pulled out a book. He came back, handing it to her. "This should have all the 'cheese' you're looking for."

She blinked down at the book curiously. She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back. It must be a habit, Kakashi concluded. She smiled up at him now with her head slightly tilted. "Thanks! You must read a lot of romance novels." He shifted his eyes away and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I've read a few."

"Hey," she shrugged, "to each his own."

The jonin blinked down at her, mildly surprised at her response. Most women either blushed or gave him a stern look when it came to his books. This woman might be interesting after all.

"Well, I gotta run. Thanks for the book!"

"No problem," he said without emotion. He watched her until she was out of sight. The ninja scratched his head for a moment, trying to figure out the short bubbly female. Most people's clothing reflected their personality, but it seemed Chiisai was an exception. Was it someone else's jacket, a boyfriend perhaps?

He shook his head roughly, alarmed at his own thoughts. To distract himself, the man eyed the shelf nearest him, scanning for any unfamiliar books. But the image of her pushing her hair came to mind several times in the next few minutes, interrupting his search.

Kakashi sighed to himself and drew his hand back from the books. That girl was going to be on his mind tonight it seemed. Lazily, he walked back towards the exit, waving at the cashier as he went by. The bell dinged as he stepped out into the darkness. Was it really almost nine?

He turned the corner, noting the lack of people out tonight. Well, it had been a rainy day. He gazed up at the cloudy sky, not caring if he stepped in puddles. The wind picked up, bristling his unkept hair. Kakashi paused midstep as he turned down a small road.

"So you want a bit of romance, eh?" A deep scrutty voice came with the wind.

"If I did, it wouldn't be from you," a familiar voice rang out. "You're a fool for committing a crime, especially in a ninja village."

The wind was carrying the voices, audible to Kakashi's trained ears. The ninja silently headed towards the source of the sounds, blending into the night. His shoes slushed against the soggy ground, speeding up again as the wind came rushing.

The man grunted in pain. "You bitch! You'll pay for that!"

There was a gasp, a grunt followed by a couple of whacks, and the tearing of clothing. Kakashi sprinted faster, his feet making steady raps against the ground. He was going to make it in time. Sixth Paths forgive him if he didn't.

END


	2. Chapter 2

He smelled blood. Kakashi turned into an alley as Chiisai slumped to the ground. Her blood stained the wall next to her. A man was over her, fumbling with his pants. Full of rage and disgust, the shinobi was on him in moments with a kunai at the man's throat.

"The woman's right," He didn't hide his disgust. "And you're as foolish as they come." The man halted, startled by the ninja suddenly behind him. The kunai pressed against his skin, causing him to gulp.

"P-please don't kill me," the man trembled, drained of color.

Kakashi glanced down at Chiisai. Her jacket had been ripped open, her top torn down the middle. There was a gash across her cheek and her forehead was decorated with bloody scrapes. She wasn't moving.

Before the man could blink, the ninja's fist made contact with the assaulter's face. The man slammed into the wall before slumping into a heap on the ground. He wasn't getting up for a while.

Kakashi then turned to the unconscious woman. He stepped towards her, his shoe making a large slushy sound. He raised his foot up and glanced down. Her book laid face down in a puddle, completely ruined.

Disregarding the novel, Kakashi bent down and slid an arm under Chiisai's back, lifting her upper body up. Her body leaned against him, her back soaked in muddy water. He brushed a hand against her cheek, pushing her hair back. Gently, he tapped the side of her face.

She let out a moan as her eyes gradually opened. Her black eyes had lost their luster as she tried to focus on him.

"Do you remember your name?" Kakashi's serious voice filled the alley, sharp and clear.

She blinked, her long lashes fluttering. Her lips parted and her eyebrows furrowed. "I don'…feel well." Suddenly, she turned out of his arm as her body heaved. Kakashi quickly adjusted, pulling her hair back as she bent over and vomited. Her body lurched again, her stomach emptying its contents on the soggy ground. The smell of bile filled the air. When she was done, Kakashi carefully picked her up as it started to rain.

She slumped against his back, the drops of water hitting her already soaked jacket.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Kakashi informed her as he jumped unto the nearest roof. "Okay?"

"I…mii…puke onya," was her raspy response. Kakashi ignored her acrid breath as he jumped to the next rooftop. The rain pelted them now, coming down in sheets.

"Do you know your name?"

"You…Name…?"

"You have a concussion," he muttered to himself.

Her fingers tightened around his vest, her voice barely heard over the rain. "You…real?"

Kakashi landed outside the hospital, soaked to the bone. He bolted in, leaving a trail of water behind him as his shoes squeaked against the linoleum.

She was admitted at once and carried into a room.

Kakashi watched for a moment as a nurse attended Chiisai. Her face, he noticed, was still oozing blood. After a few minutes, the nurse approached him.

"We'll keep her overnight, clean her up. She's still confused and doesn't remember much. What happened?"

"Assault and attempted rape," Kakashi kept his voice level. "Her head was bashed into a wall by the look of it," his tone hid his rising anger. After the woman nodded, the ninja turned. "I have to take care of her attacker. I'll be back to check on her in the morning." He paused. "Her name is Chiisai." And with that, he disappeared down the hall.

She woke up in an unfamiliar room. She had no memory of this place, the clothing she was wearing, or how she got there. Maybe she was dreaming. But she felt awfully sleepy for it to be a dream. And why was she so dizzy and ache-y? Her whole head hurt…

"Hello," a woman's voice seemed to echo in her mind.

"…Huh? Hey.."

"Do you remember your name?" A woman's voice came again.

She cringed at the sound. "My…Name?"

"Yes."

Her name. It was an easy task…A three year old could do it. Then why was it so hard?

"It starts…With an C?"

"Good," the woman replied. There's the sound of pen on paper.

The patient turned her head to the woman, taking in her white garb. This woman looked familiar, though she knew they had ever met. "You're a nurse."

The nurse smiled in response. "Yes. I'll be taking care of you for the next few hours. How do you feel?"

"Tired." She paused, trying to find thoughts in the fog of her mind. "Is this a dream? Some sort of genjutsu? I feel foggy." Her words were sluggish, like she couldn't grasp a hold of her mouth.

"Nope, this is the real world. You feel foggy?"

"Yeah," she blinked at the woman. "My mind's all…wobbly and dark."

"Ooh. Like groggy?"

The patient snapped her fingers. "That's the word. Groggy." But then her head began to spin. She squinched her eyes shut, her facial muscles pulling on her scraped skin. She lifted a hand to her head, only to feel bandages around her forehead. Her fingers traced her face, wincing as she came across a bandage on her cheek. "What happened?" Why was it so cold?

"You were attacked."

"Well, did I at least put up a fight? I probably lost. Wait, why was I attacked?" The throbbing worsened, and she cringed at the pain. But with the pain came memory. Slowly, information seemed to seep out.

"My name is Chiisai. Karasu Chiisai," she said slowly. Chiisai groaned as the headache pierced her skull.

"Do you need pain medication?"

"No," she tried to say evenly. "I'm alright." Her eyes opened up, focused now.

"I need to go." She pushed herself upright in bed.

"I'm sorry, but I need to thoroughly check you before I can allow you to leave."

She winced at the splitting headache. "Then who's going to feed my cat?"

"Your cat?"

"I remembered I have a cat. I feed him every morning at six before I go jogging." Chiisai looked down at her body, prodding her toned body with a finger. "Well, at least I'm in shape. What time is it?"

The world spun once more, causing her to shut her eyes as the nurse spoke. "It's seven in the morning."

"Hmm." She forced her eyes open. "So what do you need to know?"

"I need to give you a brief exam to make sure your memory functions properly."

Chiisai really didn't want too. But the faster she got this over with, the faster she could get home, feed her cat, and sleep. Where was home anyway?

"Ask away then," she tried to say cheerfully, but it came out more forced. There was so much pressure in her head…

"I need to find your medical file now that I know your full name. Just rest for now."

Before she could reply, the nurse had already gotten up and was walking out of the door.

Chiisai sighed and slid back into the bed with a shiver. Well, it seemed like she was stuck here for a bit. She was going to have to remember everything soon, or else she was going to be fed up with herself.

The next time she awoke, there was a book laying on the edge of the bed. Curious and still groggy, Chiisai picked it up. From the cover, it looked like one of those cheesy romance stories…

Her brain seemed to snap in place. She had this book last night. That ninja, that guy with the farm-name, had suggested it. And then that man came…

She grabbed her head as the throbbing worsened. That man had bashed her head against the wall after she kicked him in the groin. He deserved more than a kick to what little manhood he had. Her eyes slowly opened, gazing down at the book. Why does it look brand new? Wasn't it rainy last night? The book should be soggy and ruined…

She shivered, but not from the cold this time. Oh, crap. The man had tried to...Had he…?

She lifted the covers up, gazing down at her lower extremities. She didn't hurt down there and there weren't any bandages. But she had been knocked out. What had happened? It didn't feel like…

Chiisai's throat constricted. Her eyes squeezed shut as she let out a sneeze, jerking her whole body forward. She fell back into the bed, the world spinning around her. Greaaat. The cold rain must have made her sick.

With a heavy groan, Chiisai turned to her side and curled up into a ball. She pulled the sheets with her, trying to gather as much warmth as she could before she succumbed back into sleep.

Kakashi and the nurse stood by the door, watching Chiisai shiver under the covers.

"I'm afraid she got a cold from last night."

Kakashi nodded, watching Chiisai as her body rattled out a cough.

The nurse followed his gaze. "Her memory has returned remarkably well, though it takes awhile to get a response from her. Motor skills are fine. She's free to go, but she has no living relatives. I'm not sure if she can take care of herself in the state she is in. Most of the time she's confused and groggy, and that added with the cold…"

Kakashi nodded once more. "I'll take care of it."

The nurse blinked at him in surprise but didn't object. "I'll get the release papers then."

The ninja trudged in as the nurse left. He crouched down next to the bed, coming eye level with the sleeping woman.

"Yo," he said as he poked her cheek.

He didn't get the response he expected. Her body lurched again as she sneezed right in his face. This was one of the times he especially liked wearing a mask.

"Sorry," her voice was full of congestion as he wiped her spit off of him. Her eyes fluttered open, as if trying to focus on the person in front of her. "Farm-man, what're ya doin' ere?" She raised a hand toward him, placing a hand on top of his head. "You real?"

The ninja let out a sigh as he gently took her hand from his messy hair. "I'm taking you home, Chiisai. Can you walk?"

She blinked slowly at him, trying to take in his words. "I'm drugged up, farm-boy. What'd ya say?"

Kakashi helped her sit upright in the bed, stopping her from swaying back and forth. "C'mon, drugged up girl. Get on my back."

"Hmmm," was her response. Did she even understand him? It seemed she did, because slowly but surely she collapsed against him. He pulled his arms under her legs, drawing her closer to him as he stood up.

"Waaaib," she called out groggily. He halted, following the direction that her hand was reaching for. The ninja bent over far enough for Chiisai to grab a box of tissues and the book he had rebought for her. "'Kay. Carry on, farm-man."

He shook his head, both amused and annoyed. Why did he offer to do this again? He barely knew her, and she thought he wasn't even real. Yet despite the oddities of the situation, Kakashi felt compelled to help this woman.

The jonin felt her head turn away as she tried to hold in a cough. Her small body shuddered against him as he made his way to the front desk. She was absolutely pitiful.

He quickly signed the release papers, got her medical information, and asked for her address. Then he was off.

"So this is where you live?"

Chiisai forced the book into his hand as she shifted her weight against him. She pulled a key from her jacket pocket, reaching for the door. Kakashi quickly took the key with his free fingers and opened the door.

He strolled into the dark hall as he kicked the door back closed. He explored the apartment, trying to find her bedroom. He came across a small kitchen, a couple of dishes sitting in the sink. He went down the other hall, finally coming to his destination. A black cat was curled on the pillow, raising its head as Kakashi approached it.

The cat gave a meow as it stepped onto the ledge above the bed. Kakashi drew the homemade quilt back, placing the sick woman down. He took the box and the book from her, placing it next to the cat. Chiisai was almost asleep it seemed as he drew the covers over her. She let out another sneeze and groaned as she drew up into a ball.

The cat, concerned for its human, hopped unto the bed. It meowed once more as it rubbed the side of its face over her arm. Chiisai opened her eyes long enough to raise her arm. "Hey, Tori." The cat curled up against her as her arm fell back around the cat.

She named her cat bird? This woman was a bit peculiar.

Kakashi turned his gaze to the book shelf above the bed, noting the amount of books that were stacked on top of each other. This woman really liked to read. She had everything from poetry to fantasy to classic literature.

He peered closer, gazing a picture of a small family. Who he assumed to be her father, looked stern, though his face was set in a smile. Her mother seemed more sincere, with crinkles at the corner of her brown eyes as she grinned. Chiisai must have been the child in between them. Her large eyes stared up at him curiously.

Her voice caught his attention, though it was more of a groan. "Thanks…farm-boy."

There was a small smile under his mask as he brushed her hair back from her bandaged face. "No problem. Just sleep."

"Just…don't dream with me, m'kay?"

"Hmmm?"

She let out a cough, making the cat look up at her. "Yeah…I mighb kill you, farm-boy…I don' wanna kill no farmer…"

"What do you mean?" But she was already asleep, her breathing turning into a soft snore. The cat raised its head as Kakashi passed them, its neon eyes staring him down. Tori's eyes unsettled Kakashi, as if it knew more than it perceived. Could it be a ninja cat?

The cat lowered its head, no longer caring about the ninja in the room. Kakashi took advantage and walked down the hall, observing her home as he thought about Chiisai's words. Drugs did make people say odd things.

Kakashi came across the living room. A couch, coffee table, TV, and bookshelf were placed cozily on the hardwood floor. He strolled on into the kitchen, deciding to clean up a bit. He opened one of the bottom cabinets to find the cat food. He went ahead and filled the cat bowl before washing the dishes. After washing and drying them, Kakashi began rummaging through the cabinets, trying to find the proper place for the bowls.

He paused as he opened the top cabinet. He wasn't sure why he had opened it, it didn't even look like Chiisai could even reach it. But hidden on the shelves were books. Curious as to why books were hiding in the kitchen, Kakashi took one out. There was no title on the cover. It seemed old, its spine worn and cracked. He opened it up and realized it was a journal. The handwriting was scratchy, as if I child had written it.

_Mom wanted me to record my dreams, so I guess I'll start. I try teling her how reel they are, but she just says I'm just over imajnativ. But I know. These aren't my dreems._

_Last night I dreemed I was somone else. He was a boy around my age, and everything I saw was oranj. I found out later he or me was wearing gogles. He was dancing with a brown haired girl with purpel on her face. He was so hapy, he liked her a lot. He thought he was finaly good enoff for her. But then this other boy came walking by with silver hair and a meen look The girl stoped dancing with me and went to the boy. They both walked away togothar leeving me sad. Not mater how hard I tryed, I couldn't cacth up to them. I thouhgt she had finaly noticed me, finaly saw that I was beter than that boy. _

_Then the Uchihah' symbol apearred above me, coming to life. It startd yeling, "Wake up gogle face! You're a Uchiha, born to be awsum! You an awsum ninja! Wake up that Sharringun! Wake that awsum up! WAKE UP!"_

_Then I woke up with another hedacke. That wasn't my dreem. I don't know these peoples. Why am I dreeming somone else's dreems? My head wont stop herting._

Kakashi could no longer read. His hands were trembling, making the book tremble with them. No, it couldn't be. He stared down at the page, not believing what he was seeing. This had to be Chiisai's.

But…What she was describing…

Kakashi slammed the journal closed, letting it drop on the counter. His heart was beating so fast. Kakashi didn't understand. Chiisai dreamed Obito's dream?  
What was happening?

_"Don't dream with me, farm boy…I might kill you."_

Kakashi heard a hiss behind him. He turned to see Tori, back arched and white feet baring claws. Its eyes seemed to glow, narrowing at the jonin. What was going on?

Swiftly, Kakashi placed the journal in his pocket. He needed more information. He straightened, lifted a hand, and disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the cat behind.

END


	3. Chapter 3

_*Author's Note** Hey guys! I'm still getting the hang of this. This is a reposting of chapter 3, since I realized the different parts of the story had no breaks...If that makes sense. I'm actually still confused, so the IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII signifies a break! Reviews are welcome! I need some construction criticism! And Chiisai has a cold, so everything is written as she would likely pronounce it! If you get confused, usually the letter b is replacing the letter t.**_

Chiisai woke up with her stomach growling, making her even more nauseous. Tori sat on top of her as if he had dominion over her and the whole room. He meowed down at her. Annoyed, the woman rolled over and placed a hand on the night stand.

She found paper underneath her hand. She picked it up, turning it sideways so she wouldn't have to move.

_Went to get medicine and bandages. Food on stove. Don't do anything stupid._

_-farm boy _

She dropped the paper back on the nightstand with a moan. It even hurt to read. At least farm-boy wasn't a dream. Slowly, she got out of bed, forcing the cat to hop off of her.

"Meeeooow."

"I gobba pee Pori. Move." Chiisai half stumbled over the cat and trudged towards the bathroom. She felt like she weighed as much as a tailed-beast. It was a struggle just to get to the bathroom.

Her hand felt for the light, not bothering to look as she eventually flipped the switch on. Her eyes blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness. Another groan escaped her as she looked in the mirror.

Her hair was everywhere, she was covered in bandages, and her nose was red. Circles hung below her eyes. She was a hideous mess. Nose running, her fingers found the toilet paper and tore a wad before blowing her nose. But that made the dizziness worse. Tired, hungry, and sore, Chiisai brushed her teeth and went to the bathroom before sticking tissue wads up each nostril.

She trudged back into her room to change. She still wore her jacket and pants, though they were clean. Someone must have washed them at the hospital, because she never had clothes this clean. Oh yah. She just came back from the hospital. Bad things happened…Right? Struggling, Chiisai finally changed into warm flannel pajama pants and a sweatshirt. At least she felt warmer.

Tori meowed again beside her, trying to lead her to the kitchen. Chiisai obliged, following the feline to the food. The cat bowl was full and ramen sat on the stove. Farm-boy had been working it seemed. The dishes were washed and put away too.

Ignoring the cat's consistent noises, Chiisai pulled out a bowl and got out some ramen before microwaving it. How did she get home again? She certainly didn't walk home. Farm-boy must have done that too. Why was he helping so much anyway? Farmers must be nice people.

She pulled the bowl out before the microwave could beep. The woman sat down at the table to indulge herself. Too bad she forgot the chopsticks. With another annoyed groan, the sick woman stumbled to the chopsticks and sat back down. The warmth felt good against her scratchy throat, though she couldn't really taste the ramen. She managed to down a bowl despite the nausea. She took a gulp of air when she was finished, trying to find her cat as she removed the paper wads from her nose.

Tori was on top of the cabinets, sitting above her secret. The cat meowed again, pawing at the wood. What did he want her to do? The cat kept going until Chiisai got up to put her bowl in the sink. She gazed up at the cabinet that was out of her reach.

"Ugghh…Pori. Whab do ya wanb?"

The cat pawed again, staring down at his human. Did Tori want her to look in the cabinet? Could farm-boy, no, why would he open that cabinet? He did put the dirty dishes up though…

Fear set in as Chiisai climbed on top of the counter. She swayed, catching herself on the cabinet handle.

Don't do anything stupid, he had written. Well, it was too late for that. Adrenaline pumping through her sluggish body, Chiisai reached up and opened the cabinet. All of the books seemed to be intact. Just to be sure, she grabbed one.

At first glance, it didn't look disturbed. But then she took another journal out, the one beside it. This had a layer of dust. The first one however…Chiisai saw where dust should be, but none shown. Someone had been looking through it.

"Pori, you bootiful cat. Guard dis cabnet with your life."

She flung the journals back in, rage boiling in her sick body. These were her secrets, her personal demons. No one should ever read them, not even a farmer. Chiisai had stopped those dreams a long time ago, and she didn't want them coming back.

"Thab farm-boy did it. When I det my hanbs on him, I'll-"

"You'll what?"

"Augh!" She lost her balance, trying to reach for the cabinet handle. Unfortunately, she couldn't reach and she fell off the counter. Kakashi caught her before she hit the ground. He looked down at her with one eyebrow raised.

She tried to smile. "Uh, thanp him for mabing ramen!" And then she sneezed on him.

Kakashi stood there, holding the woman who had just sneezed on him yet again. "Nice try. I thought I told you not to do anything stupid," his tone annoyed. He pulled her up with one hoist, letting her go as he swiped her spit off of him.

Tori jumped off the cabinet, giving a hiss at Kakashi. The ninja ignored the cat as he placed a paper bag on the counter. "Here's your medicine. I'll show you how to re-bandage your wounds later."

"Ughh…Thanps?"

"No problem." His voice held no emotion. Without looking at her, he grabbed a tissue from the counter. "You need this."

"Oh." She tried looking at her nose, but only managed to cross her eyes. Cursing her grogginess, she took the tissue and blew her nose. The world began to spin as she began to sway. Blowing her nose felt like she was trying to pop her brain.

Kakashi sighed and stepped toward Chiisai. To her surprise, he scooped her up and carried her like a baby back to her room. He placed her on the bed, left, and came back with a glass of water and medicine.

"Take this and drink all of it," he commanded as he gave it to her. "You need fluids."

She did as he said, for her dizziness hadn't stopped. After the last gulp, she handed him the glass and asked, "Why are you helbing me, farm-boy?" Her head hurt every time she talked.

Kakashi studied her for a moment. She really did look awful. Not to mention the drugs and grogginess making her act like a drunkard. He really didn't know the answer to her question, so he shrugged and said, "Someone's got to take care of you." He turned to leave the room.

Her tone was serious as she said, "I know you read it."

Kakashi stopped, lifting his head over his shoulder. For once, the woman's eyes were clear as night.

"Read what?" He asked nonchalantly.

"The dusb was gone." She pulled the covers over her as she let out a defeated cough. "Ib's a good thing you're a farmer and nob a ninja. You're a bad snooper."

He shook his head. If only she knew. "Is it true then?"

"Whab, farm-boy?" She didn't hide her annoyance.

"You dream other people's dreams," his voice was hard.

She didn't respond at first, leaving a silence to hang with the tension.

"…Ib was."

"Was?"

She pulled the covers all the way over her head now. "Just sbop snoopin'! I canb think ribe now! My head hurbs…"

Kakashi left her, slightly regretting pushing the question. He would have to wait until she got better to get answers it seemed.

Kakashi placed the glass in the sink, eyeing the cat that stood on top of the cabinet. Tori hissed at him, arching her back. The cat was protecting the cabinet. Is that how Chiisai found out?

The cat just stared at him before he began to lick his chest. Kakashi sighed again as he put up the items in the bag. At this point, Kakashi had no idea what he was doing. He was helping a woman with a concussion and a cold, who could dream other people's dreams. Who had a cat named bird with a sixth sense. This apartment stunk of secrets, and Kakashi was going to find every last one of them.

He had sorted through her family's files. Her parents had suddenly slipped into a coma and died a week apart. Both died when Chiisai was a teenager. Curiously, her parents were healthy, and the doctors were baffled that two healthy adults would slip into a coma.

The phone rang, cutting off his thoughts. After a minute of debating, he grabbed the phone.

"Hello? Chiisai-san?" A male voice asked quickly.

"…She's not available right now."

"Oh," there was an embarrassed cough. "Is she alright? She didn't come in to work today. Wait, who is this?"

"This is Kakashi speaking. Chiisai-san is sick at the moment. I'm afraid she forgot to call."

"Sick? Is she alright?" The man's words were rushed. "Why are you at her apartment?" Anger showed in his tone. "How does she know you?"

Kakashi scratched his head, figuring how much he could say to her supposed coworker. "Well, she was assaulted the other night, and I happened to be walking by. I took her to the hospital. I'm afraid she won't be able to come into work this week."

"Assaulted?! I thought you said she was sick? You lying bastard, I'm coming over."

Kakashi groaned inwardly. "Sir, she is sick. But she was also-"

There was a click as the man hung up. Kakashi put the phone back down, wanting to bang his head against a wall. Now he had another person to deal with. With nothing else to do, Kakashi walked over to the bookshelf, observing the books. To his surprise, he found the Icha Icha series on the top shelf as if waiting for him. Satisfied, Kakashi grabbed the first volume and opened it to the first page.

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It was the persistent knocking that woke her. For a moment, she thought it might just be the throbbing against her head. But then she heard a shout.

"Uuughh." She pulled the covers back, knowing that this person wouldn't be going away. Was it already night time? Crap, she missed work. That's right, she worked at the library.

The door opened. Voices filled the hall, their footsteps becoming louder until the two men were in her room.

"Chiisai-san! What happened?!" The brunette ran towards her, grabbing her face with his hands. She winced and pulled away. "I forgob I had a job, Koshuu. My bad."

"You forgot? Are you alright? You look terrible!" His voice was shriller than usual.

"Ugh…." Chiisai fell back against the pillow, blinking up at the ceiling. "I'm on drugs."

"On drugs? Is that why you were assaulted?"

"No! I don' do drugs, I'm on 'em! I gobba colb and a concussion…right?" She blinked at Kakashi behind Koshuu, who nodded. Koshuu turned to Kakashi. "What happened?"

"Yeah, whab happened?" Chiisai asked before shuddering into a cough.

"You were attacked last night around nine o'clock. You kicked him in the groin, and in response he bashed your head against the wall," his voice was calm. "I stopped him before…" He stops, gazing at her bruised and bandaged face. "I brought you to the hospital in the rain, which later caused your cold to form. Your memory has been on and off, but you'll most likely recover in a week or so."

"Well, ab leasb I bried bo defend myself."

"What happened to her attacker?"

"He's in custody and has already confessed."

"See? Nobbin' bo worry 'bout. Everybing's 'kay."

"Okay?! You were attacked! You have a concussion and you can barely talk!"

"I don' like your bone, Koshuu. Bop being a parby pooper!" She yanked the covers over her head, apparently done with the conversation.

"Don't take it personally. The drugs make her cranky."

"I am nob cranky!" She shouted under the covers. "My head's gonna exblode!"

"Is there anything I can do?" He bent down next to the bed, worry etched across his face.

"Well, I canb go bo work," she said while still under the covers. "Can you geb someone to fill in for me? Where do I work 'gain?"

"You work at the library. But don't worry, I'm on it! You just get better, okay?"

She didn't say anything, which Koshuu took as a good sign. Kakashi followed him to the door.

"Take care of her," Koshuu requested sternly. Kakashi nodded.

The young man shifted his gaze. "She's been through a lot recently. We're worried about her. She spends most of her time reading and rarely goes out anymore. We all love her down at library…"

Kakashi looked at him, wondering why this man was telling him all of this. Koshuu seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he abruptly said his farewell and fled down the hall.

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"How doev is look?" Chiisai blinked down at Kakashi as he removed the bandages. Her forehead was swollen, bruised, and still oozing blood, though not as much as before.

"It looks bad, huh?" She was sitting on the toilet seat with Kakashi crouching in front of her. Every now and then he placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her swaying form.

Kakashi met her gaze, hesitant as he removed the last bandage around her head.

"I've seen worse."

"You had brouble at the farm?" She was almost a child in the way she was acting. He noticed her cringing as he pressed a cold washcloth on her head.

"I'm a ninja, remember?" His voice remained emotionless.

Chiisai looked at his clothing, pressing her hands against his chest. "Oh. I guess bat explains the vesp. Whab's your name again?"

With his free hand, he removed her hands from him. "Hatake Kakashi." This was like babysitting a child. Why was he helping her again? What made him want to do this?

She blinked slowly, giving a wince as he gently pressed harder on her forehead. "I heard bat name before. You were red in my dreams."

That caught his attention. He removed the cloth and laid it back on the sink. He tilted his head up, trying to catch Chiisai's eyes. "I'm red in your dreams?"

She nodded, lowering her head slowly so that their faces were inches apart. "Yeah." Her hand reached up as her fingers grazed the cloth covering his eye. "Red here…" Her other hand found his right hand, her fingers intertwining with his. "…And red here."

Kakashi was frozen for a moment, his mind flashing back to the moments his friends had died. His nightmares had haunted him for years after, even to this day. The fact that someone else had seen them, had known what he dreamed…

He then noticed how close they were to each other. Her hands still lingered on his eye and hand, feeling the pressure of her touch through the cloth. Her face was so close to his, though swollen and scratched as it was. He met her eyes, which were half dazed under her long eyelashes.

Then her head snapped forward, colliding with his as she sneezed. Her scraped forehead slammed into the metal on his headband. He caught her as she slid off the seat, her body becoming limp in his arms.

"Yo, Chiisai." Her forehead was bleeding now, running down her face. Kakashi grabbed the cloth again, lifted her hair back, and pressed the washcloth to her forehead. "Chiisai."

He shifted, half cradling her in his arms. Finally, she let out a soft moan. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. "Wha-Who're you guys?"

Great.

"Can you hear me?"

She lifted her hand towards him, that in itself taking a lot of effort. "You real?"

Chiisai shoved the palm of her hand into his face, thrusting his head up. Where did she get the energy to do that? Agitated, Kakashi pulled her hand back down. This was like dealing with Naruto.

"Hold still. You're bleeding."

"So yourrreal?" Her hands were on his face again. He didn't even bother anymore.

But then, her fingers curled around his mask and pulled it down. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, both startled at what she had done. She even pulled down the mask underneath the mask.

"You hab a nose." Her fingers traced over his face, brushing over his skin like a butterfly's wing. He had forgotten…When was the last time someone had seen his face, let alone touched it?

She squinted up at him as if trying to focus on something important. "And you gob libs." Her thumb traced over his lips, seemingly sentimental before she yanked at the corner of his mouth.

"Ugh!" He pulled her thumb out of his mouth, pushing his masks back up with one pull. This girl was actually worse than dealing with Naruto.

Her hand was limp in his grip. She was holding her head with her other hand, staining her skin red. Her eyes fluttered back closed as she whimpered, "It hurbs…" Kakashi tended her wounds, making sure the bleeding had stopped before wrapping her forehead in bandages. Her hair was everywhere it seemed, but he made no move to fix it.

Her eyebrows furrowed as he lifted her back up. It was a good thing she didn't weigh much. She curled into him with a shiver. Slowly, he carried Chiisai back to bed, concern growing in the back of his mind. Chiisai couldn't take care of herself, especially at this rate. But Kakashi had a mission in two days…

The ninja tucked her in as the cat lounged into the bedroom. Upon seeing his human, Tori hopped on the bed. He meowed several times, ignoring Kakashi as he rubbed his face against Chiisai's cheek. But her heavy breathing was the only response. Frustrated, the cat pressed his face into the side of hers, but she still didn't move. Switching tactics, Tori curled up on her chest. His glowing eyes squinted at Kakashi before the cat went to sleep.

Kakashi trudged back to the bathroom to clean up the mess. He threw the dirty bandages away, and when finding the hamper, threw the bloody cloth on top of a towel. Red glinted as he turned. Looking in the mirror, Kakashi saw blood staining the symbol on his headband. He stared at it, remembering Chiisai's words.

_You were red in my dreams._

It seemed no matter how hard he tried, he'd always be red.

End!

Sorry if it's boring, I promise it get's interesting! Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

_Note: Main character still has a cold, so some words will reflect how she's actually talking. Example: Twin will be "bwin." Not sure if that's accurate for people who have a bad cold...I just know t's and k's are usually muffled. But I guess that's not really important. Oh well. Reviews are welcome! (Please review so I won't feel like no one reads this. Unless you actually don't read this...O.O I'll go back to eating my poptart now.)_

She didn't really know what time it was, or if time existed. She wondered in and out of consciousness, though she didn't even know it, nor did she care. Sometimes, she would hear voices, though she couldn't make out any words. Everything seemed out of reach, but this oblivion became her bliss. In this floating darkness, she found comfort and didn't know pain.

But then the dreams came.

She had slipped into someone else's dream, unaware in her sick state. Her mind had no guards or protections to keep her away, no mental barriers they had set up long ago. Now there was an open plain, and her mind was eager to explore all of it, leaving no stone unturned.

This dream brought tears. Tears of anger and sadness, desperation and hope. He was gone, now an enemy of the village. The dark headed boy she had spent so much time with on missions, whose skills and coolness rose above all others, had left her there on a bench. She was alone, and he was gone. But his last words to her were echoing from around, haunting her every move.

"Thank you."

"Sakura…Thank you."

"Thank…"

Another dream came. He had finally made the best ramen ever in existence. He had aged like fine wine, and his talents had finally seeped into his cooking. People flocked from all around to eat his ramen. The Hokage had even declared his ramen as the official food of Konoha. There was a medal and flowers and everyone was there, including the daimyo. The blonde boy was there too, grinning up at him. He gave him a thumbs up as he gobbled two bowls of ramen at once. It was raining ramen, and everyone rejoiced. Ramen was the world.

The dreams kept coming throughout the night, never relenting as Chiisai tossed and turned under the sheets. When would it end? She was tired of people's dreams, tired of seeing their desires and fears. These weren't hers, and she didn't want them.

The nightmares were the worst. She wasn't only observing them, she was in them. Everything the dreamer felt, she felt. It was like she was sucking up the terror, absorbing all of the fears the dreamers' felt. Would it ever stop? Did this cycle ever end?

It was the screaming that woke her.

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Kakashi rushed into her bedroom, only stopping when he saw her.

Chiisai was curled into a ball, her hands against her bandaged head as a scream rippled through her. Tori stood next to her, trying to comfort her by rubbing himself against her.

Kakashi rushed over, yelling her name as he tried to wake her. He gently took hold of her shoulder, slightly shaking her as her screams turned into a wail.

Tori took matters into his own paws. His claws extended, quickly swiping his human's forearm. Three red lines appeared on her skin, but the method worked.

Chiisai's eyes flew open, her screaming suddenly becoming a whimper. Her breathing became rugged as she looked up at Kakashi.

"It's okay," he reassured her. "It's alright, Chiisai." He had to make sure she remained calm. Her eyes widened and she shook her head in distraught. She grabbed her head, cringing and twisting her feet under the covers. Kakashi brushed her hair back from her face, trying to soothe her as he sat down beside her. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. "What happened?"

She shook her head again but didn't reply.

"Chiisai, do you remember my name?" He tried to distract her. Why wasn't she talking? She should be complaining…Or sneezing.

Her eyes squeezed shut. With barely a whisper, she replied, "F-farm boy…"

"Good. But do you know my real name?" It took her a moment to reply. "Ka….ka…kashi…."

"Yes. Now, do you know your name?"

Her eyes opened then, narrowing at him. "I'm nob bab bupid," she tried to rebuttal but it ended up in a cough. Tori nestled beside her.

The ninja let out a heavy sigh as he got a tissue and wiped her runny nose. What was he going to do with this girl? "Then tell me what happened," he said evenly. She turned her head away for a moment, not meeting Kakashi's intimidating eye. He sat there, a looming shadow over Chiisai as she tried to make sense of her jumbled thoughts. But she was in so much pain. She couldn't take it, she couldn't even think. Her head was going to explode.

With her eyes trained at the wall, Chiisai opened her mouth. Her words were slow and barely audible. "There were so many…I was feeling whab they felb. He said he fixed ib. He lied. My head's gonna explode. Ib hurbs…"

"He? He who?"

"The Third…"

He let the words sink in. She had dreamed others' dreams. And the Third Hokage…He had known. What had he done?

Chiisai pulled her body tighter against her as she shuddered out a cough. Her body felt like it was sinking deeper and deeper into the ground. So much pain…

"You need to see a doctor," Kakashi said as he stood up. When she didn't reply, Kakashi pulled the covers back, making Tori meow in frustration.

"Chiisai."

Now she didn't move. Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder, but her body was tense and wouldn't yield to his pull. He sighed once more. He scooped her up yet again, hoping that this wouldn't become a habit. Worry shot through him when he saw her face contorted with pain as tears streamed down her bandaged cheek. This was the first time he had seen her cry. Even when she was attacked, she had shown no fear.

He placed his hand under her thighs, holding her up as her head fell against his shoulder. He held her as if he was burping a baby. Her fingers dug into his clothing, a whimper escaping her throat.

"C'mon, I'm taking you back to the hospital."

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_After all these years, he had finally felt her presence. Her screams were music to his ears, beckoning him to come and devour the dreams that were haunting her. The power he had been craving for so long had finally resurfaced, finally come to light. Her abilities were still raw, still untamed by such a feeble spirit._

_It could feel others out there, others desiring her power. But they were naïve. They knew so little, yet their hearts were already thirsting for it._

_But that was all about to change. He was the dream-devourer, not she. He would take control of every dream. he would be the master of their minds, the tamer of nightmares. Yes, he would have the power; HE would weave their dreams throughout eternity…_

_They would call him the Baku, and they would all bow down._

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"You should have brought her earlier, Kakashi-sensei."

"I wasn't aware of how bad the situation was."

Sakura turned towards the unconscious Chiisai, her hands glowing green. "She's in a lot of pain. I can heal the wounds, but the concussion will still take more time."

Kakashi nodded to his former student. "Thank you."

The girl nodded with a smile before attending to Chiisai. Kakashi determined she was in good hands and turned to leave. "I'll be back in a bit. You are the only one allowed to see her, don't let anyone else in."

The pink-haired girl nodded as Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

He appeared outside the Hokage's office. He heard papers flying across the room as Tsunade began shouting. He strolled on in without even knocking.

"NO MORE PAPERWORK! I SWEAR, IF I HAVE TO SIGN ONE MORE PIECE OF PAPER, I'LL KNOCK THIS WHOLE BUILDING DOWN IN ONE PUNCH!" Tsunade's voice boomed at Shizune.

"Yo."

Both of the women turned to Kakashi. Tsunade lowered her raised fist, trying to appear less violent then she felt.

"Kakashi," she nodded, allowing him to speak. Shizune gave out a sigh of relief and began to pick up the papers.

Kakashi shoved a hand in his pouch and pulled out a worn journal. He handed it to the Hokage, who immediately opened it and began to read. Her eyebrows furrowed more with each sentence. She looked up at him, her brown eyes piercing. "What is this?"

"It's a dream journal. It belongs to a woman."

Tsunade flipped through the book in her hand. "These are all other people's dreams."

"She has over ten years' worth of dreams written in journals. They're dreams from everyone in the village, from the Third Hokage to Orochimaru."

"Does anyone know about this?"

"Not that I am aware of, but I believe she can manipulate dreams as well."

"Manipulate? Who is she? A power like that…"

"Kasaru Chiisai, a woman who works at the library."

"Kasaru…" the blonde muttered. "I'm familiar with that name."

"Her parents both slipped into a coma, died a week apart twelve years ago."

She paused. "That's right. I was the one that examined them, though I found nothing wrong. You think Chiisai had something to do with this?"

He nodded. "Hai. I believe the Third knew about her."

The woman nodded, meeting Kakashi's eye briefly before looking back at the journal. "He did have her taken into questioning. Shizune," she turned to her assistant. "Get me the Kasaru case file!"

The brunette nodded, and scurried out with the pig in her arms.

"You are sure no one knows about this?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Bring her in. If what you say is true, then she could be a help to the village."

He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "That might be a problem."

She lifted an eyebrow at him. "Explain."

"Currently, she has a concussion along with a cold. I just dropped her off at the hospital." He shook his head. "She can barely walk, think, or move. I'm afraid in her condition, she says whatever comes to mind."

"If she has no filter, then what's stopping her from telling the world what she can do?"

"Sakura is the only one allowed to see her."

"Good. It seems this situation takes precedence over your current mission."

Kakashi nodded, though he was a bit disappointed. He didn't think he could take much more of this babysitting, no matter how cute Chiisai was. In fact, he'd rather have a challenge with Gai if it helped him escape this new task.

"She needs to be protected. If word gets out, everyone will be after her. Understood?"

"Hai," He said without emotion.

Her eyes traveled back down to the journal. "Have you read through all of these?"

"No."

"If we had some of this knowledge beforehand…" Her eyes suddenly narrowed as she came across a page. "This is about me." Her knuckles turned white against the notebook as her face grew red. "JARAIYA!" Her hand turned into a fist. She threw the notebook at Kakashi, who caught it with one hand. "WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM…" Her fist came down on her desk, breaking it in half with a loud crack.

Kakashi turned, deciding now would be a good time to leave. He suddenly felt glad that Jaraiya was gone training Naruto.

Hopefully she wouldn't kill him when he returned.

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"Is this true?" The older man looked down at the masked ninja.

"It has yet to be confirmed."

Danzo nodded, staring down at the file in front of him. The woman in the picture seemed quite ordinary. She was a librarian, a mere villager who had no skills or talents. At least, not that he was aware of…

"Observe her. We need more information before we can take action."

"Hai." The ninja disappeared, leaving Danzo alone.

This woman had darkness lurking within her, locked deep within the recesses of her mind. And he was going to make sure it surfaced by any means necessary…

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"Kakashi-sensei, can I speak to you?"

Kakashi nodded, following her to the corner of the room. Sakura tilted her head up, her voice at a whisper.

"This woman knew who I was, though we never met. I told her to go back to sleep, but then…she told me my dreams. She…knew about…" Sakura shut her eyes, trying to fight back tears. "She knew the last words he said to me, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi laid his hands on her shoulders. "Have you told anyone else about this?"

She shook her head.

He dropped his hands. "Good. No one should know."

Sakura nodded.

"Whad're you all talking about o'er dere? ACCHOOO!" Chiisai fell off the bed with a bloodcurdling sneeze. Both Kakashi and Sakura bent over her.

"Sorry," Sakura apologized. "My medical ninjutsu can't cure a common cold."

"How's her concussion?"

"I did my best. I'm still in training though, so it might not be fully healed yet." She frowned. "Her chakra is still jumbled around her frontal lobe…I'm not sure why."

"Farm-boy, you have a bwin?" She blinked up at them.

"Okay, maybe a bit more than jumbled."

Kakashi lifted Chiisai back up, grabbing a tissue for her runny nose. "Did you give her any medication?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "No, she's just loopy. She kinda reminds me of Naruto."

They looked back down at Chiisai, but she was already snoring in his arms.

END

Hello again! Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

"Yesssh, Goshuu. I'm 'iight." Chiisai sat on the bed, her feet Indian style. She had already wrapped the phone cord around her twice while trying to get comfortable. The rest of the cord was stretched around her arm and fingers.

"No, I'm good. Thanbs for askin' though."

Kakashi sat on the other end of the bed. In his hand was a novel, though he was paying more attention to their conversation. Tori sat in between them, trying to catch his tail.

"Naw, ya don'b need bo come over. Farm-boy's with me on the bed." She switched positions, using her foot to stretch the cord. "Sbop yellin', Goshuu. He's jus' reading his sex book."

The ninja bolted out of the bed, much to Chiisai's surprise. As Koshuu was yelling through the phone, Kakashi lifted his hand. "Give me the phone."

"No," she replied with a scold. Kakashi hand reached out, but the sick woman moved the phone away from his reach. She was just entangling herself even more. Annoyed, Kakashi finally grabbed it, pulling it to his ear. As he pulled, the cord tightened around Chiisai, who cried out as she slipped off the bed.

Kakashi caught her as the phone tumbled out of his hand. "What was that?" Koshuu's voice rattled through the device. "What was that sound?"

"Goshuu, I'll call ya back. I'm bied up."

As Koshuu yelled again, Chiisai ended the call with her free hand, though it took two tries. Tori looked down from the bed, letting out a meow.

Kakashi sighed to himself. "The damage you cause in such a short time…"

She let out a sleepy laugh as her hair fell over her face. "I gob beaben by a phone."

He ignored her delusional remark and began untangling the woman.

"You're kinda weird lookin'. How old are ya?"

"Twenty nine." Her eyes widened as she tried to move under the cord. "But you're hair's so whibe!"

"It's hereditary. Hold still." Kakashi finally finished and placed the phone back on the receiver.

"Ohhh, genebics." She rose into a sitting position, her hair still over her face. "I gob my hair from my dad. I don' like ib though."

He frowned at her, confused over how a woman could be insecure about her hair. Kakashi crouched down in front of her, brushing her hair out of her face with his hand. "You're hair's quite nice, Chiisai."

"My daddy was mean. Was your daddy mean?" She blinked up at him. He paused for a minute, his hand still against the side of her face. Finally, with his eye downcast, he whispered, "No…My father was a great man." He scooped Chiisai up then, her arms wound around his neck. Spending time with her had dulled his senses it seemed. He was ninja, not a nanny. This girl was distracting, a growing nuisance, he told himself. "Let's get you back in bed."

"Thab's nice," she replied as he placed her down on the covers. "I wish my dad was like thab. He bold me boo never brusb a ninja. He was a ninja." she ended with a hard cough. "He and mom used ta lock me in my room and yell at me." She sniffled, "I feel all icky."

Kakashi turned away, Tori at his heels. "I'll get you something to drink."

He quickly came back, her words stuck in his head. They locked her in her room... Upon seeing Chiisai, his face quickly turned red. "What are you doing?" He placed the drink down, his eye startled by the scene before him.

"I'm gonna shower, duh." Her hands were behind her back, trying to find the clasp to her bra as her hair fell over her face. He noticed small lines running across her sides, old scars that showed evidence of harm, either by her or her parents. Kakashi quickly ran forward, stepping over her discard clothes. His hands wound around her arms, forcing her to stop stripping. "Maybe you should go to the bathroom first," he suggested.

"Naah," she sniffled, "I'm good."

"No, I insist." Before she could complain, he hoisted her over his shoulder and headed to the bathroom. This woman is sick, he told himself. She was sick and tired and had a beautiful body. He shook his head, almost running into the door. His fingers were digging into her bare skin, pressing against the rough scars. The ninja quickly went into the bathroom, trying not to shove her in there as he closed the door shut. He pressed his back against the wood, trying to calm his rushing heartbeat. That was too close.

There was a knock from the other side. "Clothes..."

"Uh, just stay inside. I'll get them."

There was silence. She must have been okay with it, because the shower was turned on. Kakashi sighed in relief. Trudging back into her bedroom, Kakashi stood in front of her drawers. Not only had he snooped through her kitchen, now he was snooping through her wardrobe.

Thankfully, the first drawer held shirts. He went on through until he finally came to _the_ drawer. He quickly grabbed the first thing he touched. When he saw it, his face grew red again. So the librarian had a wild side? Interesting. He threw the stringed thing back in, getting a more modest piece and a bra. 86 centimeters...You couldn't even tell with her baggy clothing. His mind was going into the danger zone, and he quickly rustled through the rest of her drawers, finding sweats and a large sweatshirt.

Back at the bathroom again, Kakashi gave a knock. "Chiisai. I'm leaving your clothes at the door." God, he really was turning into a nanny.

She didn't respond.

He knocked again as Tori trotted up. "Chiisai?"

Worry began to creep up on him. Did she slip and hit her head? She could barely stand as it was. Knowing Chiisai, it really seemed possible that she could drown in her own bathwater.

When no response came, Kakashi finally opened the door with Tori following him in.

"Chiisai?"

Steam filled the room. He heard no movement as he laid her clothes on the sink. Why was the shower curtain so solid? He couldn't even see her shadow. Kakashi halted in front of the curtain, hand hovering at the edge.

Thankfully, he heard her feet squeak against the tile. Then Chiisai pulled the curtain back, her body dripping water as she faced the ninja.

Kakashi stood there, his body frozen. Her hair was plastered to her face, suds coming off of her wet skin. He couldn't even utter a word. It felt like a sauna in here. Was he sweating?

She blinked at him, obviously still half asleep. Chiisai pointed at him with her fingers grasping a loofa. "Your face looks like a tomato." Then she flung the curtain closed, leaving Kakashi gaping.

He wasn't sure how long it took before he was able to move again. At one point he thought he had a staring contest with the cat, who sat on the toilet seat. Eventually, the jonin found himself in the kitchen, though he didn't remember walking there.

All he knew was that he needed a glass of water to cool down, maybe two.

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"I can finally breathe out of my nose. Did it always feel like this?"

Kakashi sat at the kitchen table, glancing at Chiisai as she took a deep breath. She did look better, especially now that her wounds had been healed. Her hair was straight and brushed, her nose no longer bright red. It was the first time he'd seen her smile in six days, and what a long six days it had been. After the shower incident, he had called Koshuu to come and stay with her the rest of the day. And when Kakashi came back, he made sure to keep his distance, focusing more on the journals in the cabinet when Chiisai slept. And she slept a lot.

What he found most peculiar about the journals was that some dreams had been blotted out. Pages had been torn out here or there. It seemed someone else had already discovered these journals long ago, making sure they didn't leak out certain information…

He shook his head, mostly for shaking his thoughts out. "You're still sick though."

Her head dropped, her excitement now dissipated. "Yeah…I know."

"Here," the ninja stood up to pour her a glass of orange juice. "You still need fluids."

She took the glass from him. "Thanks."

Kakashi let out a sigh as he put the juice back in the fridge. "So how much do you remember?"

"Most of my memories have come back", she frowned. "Like when I was five, I broke my arm trying to fly out of a tree." She took a sip. "So…you're a ninja? For some reason I keep thinking you're a farmer."

He raised an eyebrow in her direction. At least her mind was finally functioning.

He rephrased the question. "How much do you remember from this week?" With that, she took a gulp of juice. Kakashi watched her, waiting patiently as she tried to avoid answering.

"Uh, I have a headache. Can we do this later?"

"No."

He stood above her, his intimidating eye glaring down at her. Fear flicked through her for a second. She didn't realize how tall he was, how easily he could overcome her…

She suddenly took a step back, her knuckles turning white against the counter. "I was attacked…In an alley. And…And…" Her eyes glanced up at him, trying to search for answers. Her fingers went up to her face, tracing her forehead. "What happened?" She closed her eyes, grabbing her head as she leaned on the counter. "My face should have wounds. Was it a dream? A dream…"

Her eyes bolted open. She turned away from Kakashi and began down the hall. Kakashi followed behind, quietly observing her confusion.

Chiisai was in her room. She sat in front of Tori, extending her hand. The black cat blinked at it. He ignored her hand and decided to walk up to Kakashi. He rubbed up against Kakashi's leg and let out a purr.

That seemed to calm her down. "It looks like Tori finally likes you."

He ignored the comment. "You thought you were dreaming."

She didn't look at him. "Sometimes they're so real you forget you're in reality when you wake up, you know?"

"Especially if you dream other people's dreams…"

She turned to him then, eyeing him suspiciously. He noticed her fingers tense, her body rigid.

"…That's a pretty odd thing to say."

Kakashi remained still. "I know you dream other people's dreams, Chiisai."

"And why would you think that, all-knowing ninja?" She folded her arms. "How do you know?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "You've been sick these past few days. I'm afraid you've said a lot more than you thought."

"How do you know I wasn't just saying odd things that the average person with a cold and concussion would say? Because I bet they say some pretty weird things…" Her voice was hard as if she was already in self-defense. Kakashi, getting tired of her games, pulled out her journal and tossed it on the bed. She stared at it for a moment. "That's…" She glared at him now, bolting out of the bed. "I guess that explains why you'd help a total stranger, huh? What, do you plan on using me for the village?" She jabbed a finger in his direction as she marched towards him. "You don't know a thing! Just because you're a ninja doesn't mean-"

Chiisai foot slid, causing her to faceplant unto the floor. Kakashi crouched down beside her, but took no action in helping her up.

"Chiisai."

"Shuttup," she groaned into the floorboards.

Kakashi placed a hand on the back of her sweatshirt and pulled her up. They met at eye level just as she sneezed.

"I hope you get my cold," She glared at him. Kakashi let go of her and wiped his face. Some things never changed. They both stood up. Her knee aimed for his groin, but he easily deflected it.

"Is that the only move you know?"

The small girl tried to punch him. She was obviously no match for the ninja. He caught her by both wrists as he stared down at her. Her breathing was heavy, eyes hard as she glared at him.

She yanked away, but Kakashi's grip was firm.

"What, did you decide to nurture me back to health after you found out I could be of some use?! I bet you told the Hokage too! Do you think you all could make me do that again?" She was still trying to punch him, her arms shaking under Kakashi's grasp. "It was sealed for a reason! You're just like my parents! Never trust a ninja!"

Kakashi stood their silently, studying her as she bombarded him with her anger again and again.

"And I'm sure you found so much enjoyment when I needed to change clothes! What guy wouldn't take advantage of a sick girl?! I'm sure a ninja who reads Icha Icha has great morals!" She yelled through angry tears. "How dare you read my journals! What the hell is wrong with you, dammit?!"

"Calm down," he said without emotion.

"Let me go!"

"Only after you calm down." His voice was firm. "You're acting like a five year old."

She stared at his hands around her wrist, her anger making her shake. Her voice was slow and menacing, something that surprised Kakashi. "If you don't let me go, I swear I'll make your dreams more of a hell than they already are, ninja."

He was silent for a moment, his hard eye watching her. Slowly, he loosened his grip and turned away.

"My dreams are already in the deepest pits of hell. Nothing you can do will make it worse."

And with that, he was gone, leaving her angry and alone.

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_This was a new, twisted nightmare._

_Blood dribbled out of her mouth as her eyes shown wide. Her body began to shudder around his arm which was stuck inside her body. Her black eyes gaped up at him, her fingers slowly wounding around his arm. But this woman's hair was long, her black eyes beautiful and widening as she parted her lips._

"_F-farm boy…"_

"_Chiisai!" _

_She tried to smile up at him, but only began coughing up blood. Kakashi watched in horror, his eyes brimmed with tears. He quickly grabbed her by the shoulder, yanking his arm out. It was covered in her blood._

_Kakashi caught her as she crumpled, holding her tiny frame against his body. Her hand found his, and she slowly intertwined her fingers with his. "Red…here…" Her eyes wondered to his face, her other hand raising up and pulling his headband up. "And red here." His eye opened, his Sharingan spinning into place as her hand went limp. He grabbed ahold of it, squeezing her hand as her eyes stared blankly ahead._

"_Ch-Chiisai…" He brushed a strand of her hair back, leaving a streak of blood across her face._

_Her body began to shimmer, turning into sparkling dust as she gave him one last smile. Kakashi tried to grab hold of her, to make her hold on longer. She wasn't supposed to die. This wasn't happening. No, not like this. Not again!_

_His hands were now holding nothing but air now. The sparkling particles floated around him, shimmering as they fell to the ground. From them, poppies began to sprout up, rising to his knees as he bolted up. What was happening?_

_He turned around, the ground was now covered with blossoming red flowers._

_But something was wrong. Kakashi turned back at the ready, but stood aghast to see her standing 10 feet away._

_His mouth was stuck, trying to suppress the emotions as realization sank in. She stood still, her eyes trailed at him as his red eye saw her chakra. She seemed so real…_

_He stepped towards her, trying to keep his emotions reigned in. "I'm dreaming."_

"_Yes."_

"_Did you make me dream that?"_

_She shifted her gaze. "What I said earlier was bluff. I only did the flowers. I don't like nightmares, and I wanted yours to go away. It's been awhile since I've done it, but I managed."_

"_So you can manipulate dreams."_

_Her hand sat on her hip, her face set in a frown. "Well, you make it sound bad when you say it like that. I only change it if the dreamer is having a nightmare…Well, I absorb the nightmare. It's been a really long time. By the way," she shifted her feet, "I stopped by to tell you something."_

"_Stopped by?"_

_Her fingers pushed her hair back. "Look, something happened the night I was attacked. I think the concussion broke the seal that was on my mind. I'm not supposed to be able to do this anymore. I'm still pissed at you, but I guess you're the only one who can help. Heck, you're the only one who knows."_

"_The Third Hokage sealed you to repress your abilities."_

_She waved a hand as she walked towards him. "Yah, yah, that's not important." Then she stopped and blinked. "Well, I guess it is." With another wave of a hand, she continued. "Okay, the fact is, I need it resealed or something bad is going to happen."_

"_Explain bad."_

_Then they both felt it. A dark presence was in his mind, crawling its way toward them as if it were a spider rushing towards prey caught in its a web. It was massive, a twisting blob of oily darkness. No eyes, no mouth to be seen; just dark spindles bursting from its surface, shooting towards them at an alarming speed. _

_Her eyes wide, Chiisai pointed at the monster. "That kind of bad."_

_Kakashi grabbed her, pushing her out of the way as the darkness shot out at them._

"_What the hell is that?"_

"_It's a long story."_

"_Then care to summarize?" He grabbed her again, carrying her away from the predator rushing at them._

"_It tried to get me before my power was sealed. Not sure what it is, but it's real. Here, put me down."_

_Kakashi hesitantly abided. He watched as she extended her arms. A wall of fire appeared in front of them, forming a blockade against the monster._

"_Looks like I'm getting the hang of this again!" She smiled back at Kakashi. "Yay lucid dreaming!"_

"_Celebrate later," he replied as he grabbed her wrist. _

_The monster reached through the barrier, slowly encompassing it. With its darkness, the fire wall was extinguished as it darted towards them again._

"_Plan B perhaps?" Kakashi asked._

"_You're the ninja! Aren't you supposed to be all strategic and stuff?!"_

"_I thought you were the dream expert."_

"_Chiisaiiiii…" The blob hissed._

"_I'm gonna have the worst headache when I get up…Wait!"_

_She pulled at Kakashi, making him stop running. "I know what to do. I need you to trust me."_

_They both stood there, waiting for the crawling mass of darkness. "What's the plan, Chiisai?"_

"_Chiisaiiiii..."_

_The darkness was barely 25 meters away now, black spindles reaching for them._

"_So," with eyes still trained on the monster, "I'd like to apologize for yesterday. Yelling at you wasn't going to solve anything, but I was so angry at you. What you did was already done, and nothing could undo that. Plus that was pretty stupid of me to take on a ninja…Kind of pathetic really."_

_The monster was almost on top of them now, rearing a shrill of a battle cry._

"_Chiisai?" He glanced down at her, his body growing tense. He saw pain in her eyes._

"_Sorry, farm-boy. You're gonna have to wake up."_

_Before he could react, a kunai appeared in her hand as she thrust it in his stomach. He doubled over, still trying to reach for her as the darkness swallowed her up._

End

How'd you like it? I'm not too good at making intense scenes, but I'm trying! Finals are coming up, so I probably won't publish the next chapter until this semester is officially over! Too everyone else who has exams or tests, good luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!


	6. Chapter 6

Kakashi didn't immediately smell Chiisai or her cat, nor did he hear any movement when he arrived at her apartment. He knocked the door open, running in to find her apartment completely empty. The rain must have covered her scent.

"Dammit, Chiisai." He had underestimated her…

Kakashi went into her room, looking for any signs of her departure. The covers were thrown aside, her pajamas scattered as if she had been moving while changing. He noticed a book missing from her bookshelf. One lone journal sat on the bed, waiting for him.

_If you see me in your dreams again, you need to wake up. If you even think I'm present in your dreams, use your Sharingan. It should be able to find me if I'm there, it's happened before…Just make sure you know you're dreaming. There's also a good chance I'll never wake up the next time I fall asleep. If that happens, everyone else might be asleep forever too…It's kinda a 50/50 chance. _

_PS-That thing was the reason my abilities were sealed. You should probly find that seal too. Good luck, farm boy!_

Before Kakashi could think, he heard the cracking of glass.

The jonin quickly hopped to the back of the room, avoiding the ninja who had just kicked in the window.

It was an ANBU. Kakashi twisted from his reach as the two fought. But the room was so small, and so little could be done to maneuver. However, that didn't stop the copy ninja from using it to his advantage. The opponent was sloppy, as if he were drunk. Within seconds, Kakashi had the ANBU defeated, his hands tied to the bed post by the phone cord.

Kakashi crouched down, coming eye level with the masked man. "Who sent you?" His voice was menacing.

The man didn't reply, didn't even flinch.

Kakashi took hold of the mask, revealing the face of his attacker.

His eyes were half opened, but the man was sound asleep.

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Places like this intimidated Chiisai. She had spent most of her life away from people, shut in by her parents. Even as an adult, she spent most of her time in the library. She knew how to interact with people, she'd just rather not interact with them. Books were her usual protection against humanity, and that was what was protecting her now.

A cheesy romance novel laid in her hands, shielding her face from passerbies. Tori sat beside her, eyes trained on a butterfly a few feet away.

Her shoes sat next to her, her attempt on drying them though the sun hid behind the clouds. It had been raining when she left, which was a good thing if anyone was looking for her. Her scent would be harder to find now…But still traceable. Kakashi would probably find her soon, and then she'd have a lot of explaining to do.

Noticing a large group of people coming, Chiisai instinctively shoved the book closer to her face. This was worse than buying groceries on a busy day. Some days weren't so bad, like the day she met Gai and Kakashi. But today wasn't a good day, and she wasn't in a great mood either.

Though her face was almost pressed against the book, the woman could tell that someone had sat on the other side of the bench. Of all the benches in the village, he had to choose this one. She peeked out of the corner of her eye and immediately noticed a ninja uniform.

She glanced at the person, secretly begging it not be farm boy. The man caught her eye and gave her a quick smile. Chiisai shoved her face back into the book, trying to remember his face. Brown hair, almond black eyes, weird headband helmet…

"Are you having trouble reading your book?"

"Huh?" She turned to the man. She tried to appear perky, like she was actually a cheery person who wasn't being chased by a nightmare monster.

"I've never seen someone whose eyes are inches away from a text. Do you normally read like that?" He seemed like a calm and collected individual, his body posture relaxed. He might be alright to socialize with.

"Oh, no! My face seems to get closer the more interesting the book is." She smiled.

"Well, it must be interesting then."

"Hai!" She replied with true enthusiasm. Farm boy had actually picked a good book. He must read a ton of romance novels. Of course, it seemed the ninja read whatever he could get his hands on…Including personal journals.

"So what's it about?"

"Huh?"

His hand gestured to the novel. "Your book. It looks like something my senpai would read."

"Well," she leaned slightly towards him, "If your senpai likes romance, then I guess he'd like this. _Dreaming of Love_ is cheesy and a bit dramatic though."

He nodded. "You seem very passionate about books."

"I am." Interaction: one must try to get to know the other person, as to not appear conceited. Chiisai shifted her weight, leaning more toward the man. "What are you passionate about?"

"Huh?"

"What's your passion?" She relaxed as she gazed at the ninja. "I'd guess it has something to do with being a ninja, ninjutsu perhaps? Maybe I'm just being stereotypical."

He gave her a short laugh. "Oh, not at all! I do have a passion for my ninja skills, particularly my ninjutsu." He glanced down at his hand. "But I am also passionate about other things, like architecture."

"Oh, really?" His words triggered something in her mind, of children in tubes and wood sprouting from skin. His dreams were nightmares of twisting into trees.

"Hai. I mostly read books about architecture in my spare time."

She swallowed, trying to stop her mind from pouring out images of his past dreams. "You must go to the library a lot then," her words were slow.

"Yes." He looked at her quizzically.

Her eyes brightened, trying to appear casual. "Maybe that's why you look so familiar! I work at the library."

"Oh really?" He met her eyes. "We must see each other a lot without realizing it!"

A voice rang out close by. "Chiisai!"

They both turned to the sound. Koshuu was running up to them. "I didn't expect to see you out!"

"Oh, hey Koshuu. Why are you wearing sunglasses on such a cloudy day? You look like someone from the Aburame clan!"

He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I had to go to an eye specialist today. They did something weird to them. How's your concussion? You're cold seems to be gone too!"

She laid the book back down in her lap. "Yep, everything's all healed up!"

"That's great! Listen, I was wondering if we could…uh…go for a walk and talk about some things…If you don't mind."

"Oh!" She looked back at the ninja, who was currently pretending not to overhear their conversation. "I'm sorry. It was nice talking to you, -?" He nodded. "Tenzo." Chiisai smiled as she hurriedly slipped her shoes back on. "Maybe I'll see you at the library sometime, Tenzo!"

He nodded once more, smiling as she left with Koshuu. Her cat, after pouncing on a butterfly, trotted behind them, leaving the ninja alone and depressed. It seemed like all the pretty girls were taken nowadays.

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"What?!" Her fist made contact with the wood, rattling the desk violently. Pakkun sat before Lady Tsunade, her face reflecting her fury. In her other hand held the note Chiisai had written to Kakashi. "I don't have time for this!"

"Kakashi's tracking her as we speak."

The door flew open as Shizune rushed in. "Lady Tsunade!"

"What now?!"

"The ninja in custody will not wake up, and Inoichi is still trying to find information. There have also been reports of other citizens unable to wake up, namely children!"

"Dammit! What the hell is going on?! Without Chiisai, we have nothing!" She pounded the desk again, breaking it in half. "And get Izumo and Kotetsu, I need a new desk!"

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"I guess you don't have an umbrella either, huh," Chiisai said as the rain came pouring down. Tori hissed up at the sky, but Chiisai hurriedly picked him up and hid him inside her jacket.

"C'mon! Let's get out of this weather!" Koshuu grabbed her arm, pulling her with him.

"Whoa, strong grip! Strong grip!" She yelped over the rain. Her other hand was trying to support the cat's weight, making an awkward form of running.

"Sorry!" He loosened his hold as they both ran through the rain. Everyone else was doing the same, trying to use their jackets to cover their heads. Their feet sloshed against the mud as Koshuu led her down the street of houses.

She followed him inside a large building, its windows barred up but the door easily opened.

"Whoa, is this abandoned? It feels so big." Her voice echoed off the walls. Her soggy shoes made her feel gross. How is it that something so simple could feel so terrible? Nasty wet shoes.

"Yeah, not the best place but at least we're out of the rain."

"That's true," she replied as she let Tori hop out of her jacket. She wrung her hair out before shrugging off the soaked jacket. "Is this like an abandoned warehouse or something?"

"Maybe. I hope you don't get sick again."

"Yeah, me too. It's really dark in here. Are you able to see? I can't see a thing really." She squinted in the darkness.

"Yeah, I'm fine. So, you sure everything's healed up?" Koshuu's voice seemed to echo off the walls.

"Yeah, for the most part." Her hand felt the wall, trying to find a direction to go in. At least there was light coming from underneath the door. Why did he close the door? Her fingers felt coldness and a rough texture…not wood. "I think they said a full recovery could be a week to 6 months. It just depends on the person I think." Her head snapped into a sneeze, making her dizzy.

"It's only been a week, Chiisai." She heard him smile. "Don't get too ahead of yourself."

"Oh, I'm fine!"

"Good, because you were saying some pretty weird thing when I was taking care of you."

She stopped walking, but quickly tried to recover from shock. "Oh…I did? I must have really been out of it." Chiisai continued to follow the wall, her hand out just in case she ran into a pole. "Kakashi was telling me the exact same thing yesterday," she replied with a hesitant laugh. She did run into something, but it wasn't what she expected. He had an iron grip around her wrist, his body a solid wall compared to her petite frame.

"Yeah, I bet."

Fear crept through her then, making her heart beat faster. She could no longer hear the rain, or smell the dampness in the air. All she could feel was his hand squeezing her wrist and the terror suddenly rushing through her body. She knew he was angry, she didn't need light to realize as he growled, "So...Let's talk about you and Kakashi."

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This was the third time Kakashi had fought today. This time there were two ninjas, two more comrades he was going to have to take down. Kakashi faced Izumo and Kotetsu, two chunin who never woke up this morning. He had thought maybe his attackers had been under a genjutsu, but breaking it had failed. Whoever was behind this must have had enough practice, because these two were more precise with their attacks.

The two came from each side, both yielding weapons. Kakashi knew this assault and quickly used a substitution. He needed to immobilize them without hurting them, since knocking them unconscious had proved unsuccessful.

Suddenly, as Kakashi was fighting one, he noticed a wooden pole coming towards him. The jonin jumped out of the way as the wood wove itself around Kotetsu. Izumo was quickly immobilized too as a ninja landed beside Kakashi.

"Thanks Tenzo."

"Why were they attacking you?"

"They're not themselves." Kakashi bent down in front of Izumo, slapping the side of his cheek. But the ninja remained in his dream state. The white-haired ninja straightened, shaking his head.

"You seem stressed, senpai. Are we under attack? I didn't hear the alarm."

"No, just me it seems. It's nothing." He raised his head up to the sky. "The rain's washing away her scent."

Tenzo stretched his arm and flexed his hand. "Her? Speaking of "her," I met a girl that reminded me of you. She had your taste in books. Strange, really."

Kakashi was about to dismiss the conversation, getting tired of his comrade's match making suggestions. He stopped on hearing books, his eye now focused. "What did she look like?"

Tenzo placed a hand on his chin. "Hmm…She was small, had a baggy jacket on...Works at the library. What did he call her again? Chiisai?"

Kakashi placed his hands on his comrade's shoulders, startling the ninja. His senpai's eyebrow was furrowed, his eye threatening. His voice was hard as he demanded, "He who? And where did they go?"

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"What do you mean, Koshuu?" She was trying to control her voice, to stay calm. The flashbacks of getting her head bashed into the wall were coming back, the same fears then happening now. Hopefully Kakashi would find her soon.

"You and Kakashi. How well do you know each other?" His tone was offensive, almost sickened by what he was saying.

"He's just a ninja who took c-care of me. We barely know each other."

"You spent six days together and you barely know him? That's not a good answer, Chiisai." There was a growl rising in his tone.

"I had a concussion and a cold. What did you expect?" She tried to sound confident, but past fears kept creeping up, images of her father's strong grip around her wrists, leaving bruises that lasted for days.

"Are you sure he wasn't just using you? Trying to discover your secrets?"

"What do you mean? You're hurting me, Koshuu." Her voice finally wavered as tried to yank away. This wasn't the Koshuu she knew.

He released her with a jerk, making her fall to the ground. His voice became distant, his footsteps echoing as he walked away. "Letting a ninja in your home wasn't smart, Chiisai. Remember what I told you? You're never supposed to trust a ninja." His words resonated throughout the room, leaving her speechless.

_You're never supposed to trust a ninja._

This wasn't Koshuu. Someone was controlling him. But that's im-

Before she could blink, her ears caught the sound of a shrill hiss. Tori was attacking Koshuu, the sounds of their struggle seeming to echo off the bare walls. Chiisai got to her feet, running towards the two. But the cement walls reverberated the noises, leaving Chiisai desperate and sprinting even faster. She tripped over something, causing her to crash into the ground. She had been a fool for following him in here. Then she heard a clink of metal. The room was so dark, and she could make out nothing. "Tori!" She got up again despite her knee's protest, trying to find the source of the noise. But then there came a clear animal cry of pain, followed by the sound of something slumping to the floor. There was silence now, all except Chiisai's ragged breathing.

"Tori?" Her voice was a whimper, her heart pounding in her chest. She needed Tori. He was the only stable thing In her life, the only thing that could recognize when she was caught in her dreams. Tears stained the corner of her eyes as she tried to swallow. This isn't happening. This is a dream, this has to be. Tori will wake her up soon. This can't be real.

She was too distraught to hear his footsteps. Koshuu grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back as she let out a cry.

"You've gotten weak, Chiisai. And all this time I've gotten stronger by sucking up your power that's been seeping through the cracks. If only you had learned to control your powers, maybe this wouldn't be happening," his voice was harsh, his tone mocking. "Soon," he shoved her to the ground, "You won't know the difference between dreams and reality. You'll be lost, and I'll be here to take what should have been mine." His face was inches from hers now, his breath grazing her neck. "I'll be able to avenge mine and your mother's death, my small crow."

Her black eyes were wide with terror, tears streaming down her face as she whimpered, "Dad?", but it came out choked

There was a short laugh, a small rumble emanating from Koshuu's chest. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again, daughter. How about I give you a goodbye present until we see each other? I already killed your cat, but since you killed both your mother and I, I think a bit more might be in order. Don't you think?"

She felt his hand digging into her scalp, shoving her face forward. Her tears flew back, her body limp and mind consumed with guilt. Their deaths had finally come back to haunt her. It was her fault. She deserved this.

The room suddenly became lighter, as if the sun had found a way into the room. She saw the cement floor and not too far ahead, Tori lying in a bloody heap.

She deserved this, she told herself.

Then she hit solid earth.

And all went black.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey guys! It's been awhile since I posted! I had finals, and then I got strep throat during finals and bombed a test...And almost had to retake it. Luckily, I was .17 points away from a C, so my professor was gracious enough to bump me up! Anyway, this one's kind of short and I'm not sure how to approach the next chapter. If ya'll have any suggestions, feel free to go for it! This fanfic seems to be lacking in action and violence (it was going to be a cheesy romance, but that didn't work out).Originally, this fanfic was just for fun to take a break from anther KakashiXOC fanfic I was writing (which was full of violence and bad things). I made that one too complicated, so hopefully this one won't fall into the same pit of confusion. But if you are confused, please tell me. Not sure what you guys want and in my mind it makes sense and junk._

_Okay, I'm done!_

Kakashi was too late. He saw her lying on the cement ground, with Koshuu bending over her. The jonin was instantly on top of him as he flung Koshuu back. Koshuu smacked into the wall, falling to the ground in a fit of laughter. The jonin yanked him up by the collar, his eye narrowed with a look of unforgiveness.

"You're too late ninja," he chuckled. "She won't be waking up again."

"She's stronger than you think."

"Oh, I know what my own daughter is capable of."

He tightened his grip. "Her parents are dead."

"She didn't tell you then, did she? I guess she didn't want anyone to know that she killed mommy and daddy, huh?" Koshuu let out another laugh. "Why don't you join us so we can discuss this all together? You look as surprised as she did when she found out daddy's spirit was still kicking!"

"…Kasaru Kuroi."

He paused for a moment. "I gave that name up when I died," His tone was violent, half-crazed. "I am the Baku, and once you fall asleep I'll be there to make sure you never wake up. Besides," he smiled, "you really should visit my little dream kingdom. There are so many minds to conquer!" He gave a maniacal cackle before glancing at Chiisai. "The guest of honor will be here soon, and then the real party starts! Until then, sweet dreams!" Koshuu's lips spread into a crooked grin before going limp under Kakashi's grip. Chiisai's father was gone.

Kakashi dropped the sleeping man before redirecting his focus on Chiisai. She and Tori laid on the ground, their bodies smeared with blood. Kakashi delicately picked Chiisai up, her body seeming even smaller against him. Her hair stuck to her face, and as he wiped the bloody strands away, he finally saw the damage.

Her nose was broken, blood dribbling down her mouth and chin. She was bruised under her eyes, her forehead was swelling and covered in blood. She reeked of blood. Kuroi made sure she wouldn't be waking up even if she tried.

He cradled her broken body, making his way toward Tori. But the cat didn't move. It laid still, its chest no longer rising and falling. He had died protecting his human.

"I'm sorry, Chiisai," Kakashi whispered to the unconscious woman. "I didn't make it in time."

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"We can't afford to have anything like this happen, we're vulnerable enough as it is with a new Hokage and the Akatsuki at our backs."

"Is it a sickness or an enemy attack?" Homura asked calmly, unlike the other council member.

The fifth Hokage's knuckles turned white, though her reply was civil. "It has been confirmed as an enemy attack, though we do not know if it is human."

"Not human? What else could it be then?" The old woman's voice was hard.

"A nightmare, a being that takes hold of your subconscious as you sleep."

"Then how can it be stopped?"

"The person who has the information is currently being tracked down. The situation will be under control soon."

They did not like her response. But before they could rebuttal, an ANBU suddenly appeared, bowing his head toward the Hokage. "He has arrived."

Tsunade nodded to him before he disappeared. The woman stood up, leaving the two as she strode to the door. "This meeting is over." Shizune followed behind her, showing a look of apology toward the council. The door banged shut behind them, leaving the two alone.

"She is too rash and clearly has no hold on the situation."

"As long as this continues, every villager is at risk. The village must be protected."

"We should discuss this with Danzo."

"Hai."

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Chiisai's eye bolted open as she sat upright in the bed. Tori sat next to her, retracting his claws as her arm bled. She could feel her heart ram against her sternum, almost bursting with adrenaline. Her face felt wet, and when she touched her cheek, her fingers were splayed with tears and blood. She stumbled off the bed, half running to the bathroom.

She saw herself in the mirror, her hair in every direction and her eyes wide with worry. She had cried in her sleep and her nose was bleeding, pouring blood it seemed. Hurriedly, she shoved a wad of tissue up her nose as she tried to clean up the blood dripping off of her. She usually didn't have nosebleeds…Maybe her allergies and sinuses were acting up? She did feel pressure in her forehead.

It was a dream. All of it was a dream.

But her mind kept wandering back to the nightmare, _her _nightmare. It was rare of her to dream now, and something so real as that dream had her on edge. Was the seal breaking? Was it a warning of what might come? No, her dad was dead. She had killed him, and he wasn't coming back. That dream was just her mind giving her what she thought she deserved. And Kakashi Hatake helping her? Psh, even that was far-fetched for a dream.

But just to be sure, Chiisai went straight to the kitchen, climbing the counter to fetch her journals. Both top books were covered in dust, evidence that they had been untouched for years. Satisfied and heart at normal pace, she hopped down and got a glass. Tori strolled on in, letting out a purr as he rubbed against her leg. She bent down and scratched under his chin as he lifted his head.

"What, you want some milk too?"

The cat let out a meow, walking in between her legs as she tried to maneuver her way to the refrigerator. "Are you trying to trip me, Tori?" She opened the fridge, her hands lingering on the carton.

Something was wrong.

Why was her milk on the second shelf? She always kept it on the first shelf. Shrugging, she retrieved the carton and poured some for her and Tori. It's not like someone would sneak in her apartment just to drink some milk. She had just put it in the wrong place, that was it.

"First a dream, then a nosebleed, and now my milk hopping shelves? This is going to be a very weird day, Tori."

The cat continued to lap its milk, only paying attention to his desire at hand. Chiisai glanced at the window, the Sun was only beginning to shed a sliver of light on the horizon.

"Maybe it's a bad sign. Maybe I should just stay home today," she said to Tori. "Going outside means I have to see people and socialize…Of course, I am talking to a cat right now. See? I'm too crazy to be around people!"

She set the glass in the sink, adding one more thing to the pile of dishes. She turned back and leaned against the counter. Frowning, Chiisai muttered, "If only I didn't have to make money, then I would never have to talk to people…"

Finally making a decision, Chiisai trudged back to her room to change clothes. "Well, since I'm awake so early, I might as well go for a jog before everyone else wakes up."

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Tsunade stood over Chiisai, her hand hovering over of the unconscious woman's head.

"There's nothing written about her power at all." Shizune rustled through the papers in her hands. "No profile, no power, no seal, nothing. It seems the Third didn't want anyone to know."

Kakashi stood by Inoichi, his arms crossed and face serious. "Then we have to go with what we know. Koroi believes himself to be more than human. He wants to control everyone within their dreams."

"Which is why he needs to be stopped as soon as possible. Chiisai is the epicenter. We need her to stop him. Dammit, we know nothing!"

Inoichi spoke up. "Everyone who is asleep has a barricade around their subconscious. It's neither ninjutsu or genjutsu…It's as if it's a living thing. When I got near it, it tried to suck me into the person's dream." His hands clenched. "To think Koroi has my daughter locked away inside her own mind…"

Body tense but voice calm, Tsunade said, "Once I heal her wounds, Inoichi, you will link Kakashi to Chiisai. It seems the Sharingan is our only advantage."

"Hai."

"This mission CANNOT fail. I hate to put this all on you, but it seems you are the only ones who can do this." Tsunade removed her hands from the patient.

Kakashi nodded.

"We're ready."

Inoichi and Kakashi both stepped forward. The white haired jonin laid down beside Chiisai. Her chest rose and fell with each small breath she took. Her face was etched with dried blood, covering her otherwise peaceful expression.

As Inoichi placed a hand on both of their heads, he said, "I'm linking you to Chiisai's mind. Once we get in, I'll tell you what to do."

Kakashi nodded, took on last glance at Chiisai, and then closed his eye. He was going to wake her up, no matter what the cost.

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Kakashi and Inoichi seemed to inside Chiisai's mind, her brain seeming to stem up before them. A black substance seemed to swirl around part of her mind. Its fluidity was smooth and forever changing, letting out slick hiss as it reached out and receded, always moving.

"Koroi has part of everyone's mind sealed behind this barrier. It's cutting off the nerves that link it to the rest of the mind."

Kakashi's keen eye narrowed at the mass, trying to find a weakness by just observing. "What do I need to do?"

"Once you get close to the subconscious, the barrier will reach out and suck you in. When it grabbed my arm, I saw flashes of images, like pieces of a dream."

"So it will suck me into Chiisai's dream."

"Hai. I'm not sure what you will find once you get inside," Inoichi paused. "Once you're in, you won't have any contact with the outside world, I'm afraid. You will remain there until you have completed the mission."

"Hai." Kakashi began to move forward.

"One more thing," the man said. Kakashi stopped to look back as Inoichi continued. "I'm not sure what you'll be presented with in the dream world. Just remember that you are in a dream."

Kakashi nodded while meeting his eyes. "I won't fail."

Inoichi nodded. "Good luck, Kakashi."

He nodded before hovering closer to the barrier. It was dark wall, forever twisting and moving about itself. As he came closer, the darkness responded. Just like in his nightmare, the oily darkness shot out at him, grabbing his arm as it dragged him closer. He didn't retaliate. More spindles shot out with a violent hiss, yanking at his limbs and torso. There was no pain, only flashes of what seemed like memories. Konoha loomed in his vision, of an early morning on a clear day.

The darkness dragged him through the barrier, leaving behind reality as he entered the land of dreams.


	8. Chapter 8

_Sorry I haven't posted in a while! A lot of things have been going on and it's been difficult time management-wise! This one's pretty short. I think the next one's going to explore her past, so I'm excited. I've come to the part where I know how it ends, I just gotta fill in the middle of the story...Even though it's probably almost done. Oh well! Thank you for everyone who's favorited, followed, or reviewed! I really appreciate it and it really lifts my spirits! :)_

Kakashi bolted upright in bed. Sweat beaded his skin as he tried to calm is heart rate. Images flashed within his head, yet he was unable to grab hold. He knew he needed to remember something important, something that needed immediate attention. But like a dying flame the images flickered out, leaving him in darkness.

What was it that he needed to do? It was about a girl, a woman who read books. Or was that his imagination?

Already awake, Kakashi got out of bed and glanced out the window. The Sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, the night sky fading into a dull bluish grey. The jonin got a glass of water, gulping it down as he tried to sort his jumbled thoughts.

His uneasiness grew with each passing moment. The only image he could grasp was beautiful night sky eyes and brown hair that was never in place. Seeing her face in his mind brought a sense of intimacy, as if he knew the woman on a personal level.

His heart quickened its pace, verifying what he seemed to already believe. Kakashi trusted his instincts, and his instincts told him he needed to find this woman (if she existed), and he needed to find her as soon as possible.

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After taking her usual jogging route (and noting that Gai passed her only three times today), Chiisai showered and headed to work. The Sun had finally risen and the village's citizens were all beginning to start the day. Chiisai avoided eye contact, keeping her eyes to the ground as people passed her. Sometimes eye contact triggered memories of their dreams. Even after a decade, the dreams still haunted her.

She took out the key and went the back way to the library. As usual, she was the first one here. Chiisai did the morning ritual, flipping on all the lights, sorting through returned books, putting them into the computer…of course, arriving an hour early always made time for such things.

Working at the library for ten years, Chiisai knew this place like the back of her hand. She knew just about where every book was in this place (she was the one that cataloged most of them). Chiisai spent her days in the back, cataloging books, going through inventory, and checking for late returns. Basically, anything that involved minimal interaction with people. Unfortunately, her coworkers had come to a unanimous agreement that she should work at the front at least once a week. And today unfortunately was that day.

She heard the back door open. Ten minutes early was usually Mizuki, an older woman who constantly fretted over her jonin husband.

"Chiisai! Always the early bird, aren't you?" Mizuki asked, her crow's feet deepening as she gave a warm smile.

"Hey Mizuki. How's the family?" Her customary response.

"Oh, the usual. Rokura is home for a couple of days, thank the sixth paths. That last mission of his seemed to have worn him out, the poor man!"

Chiisai nodded as the woman set her bag down in the back. "And the boys seem alright, though they really should visit more often. What they both need is a woman, especially Satoshi." The coffee maker came to life in the background.

Chiisai replied, "You just really want some grandbabies I think."

The woman joined her at the front desk, straightening some flyers. "Oh, how I miss the little pitter patter of feet! The only sounds I hear at home are the leaky faucet and Rokura's snores!"

The backdoor opened once more. A few minutes late, either Koshuu or the new girl. Hopefully it was the first. Chiisai wasn't sure if she could handle the new girl today. Hopefully she would be working tomorrow, on Chiisai's day off.

"Who made the coffee?" Koshuu's voice rang. "I pray it wasn't Ms. Silent, who might I add works at the front desk today!" Chiisai heard the smile behind his singsong words, making her groan inwardly.

"I went ahead and made some," Mizuki replied. "My husband kept me up most of the night."

Koshuu let out a short cough. "Whoa, Mizuki, too much information! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad at your age you both still-"

"Snoring! Snoring, Koshuu! Get your mind out of the gutter!" Mizuki shouted back.

Secretly amused at the two's conversation, Chiisai went ahead and unlocked the front door. As she turned the CLOSED sign around, Koshuu came out with two cups of coffee. "Hey, Chiisai."

"Hmmm?" She glanced at him halfheartedly.

"You know about Storytime today, right? Ages 3-5 are coming this afternoon. Guess whose turn it is..?" He grinned before taking a sip of his coffee and laying the other down.

"Shuttup," was her response. Chiisai plopped down at the front desk, ignoring Koshuu's satisfied expression. Storytime was usually Mizuki's thing, but her coworkers also came to the conclusion that Chiisai should be integrated into the event. "Building communication skills," the new girl had said. Well the new girl could shove those "communication skills" up her-

Koshuu set his coffee down, resting his arms on the desk as he leaned over. "You sure you can handle this, Ms. Silent?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

In response, Chiisai reached under the desk and reappeared with a stack of books. "Put these back on the shelves." She said plainly. Koshuu glanced at the books, then at her, then back at the books. With a heavy groan, Koshuu drew back from the desk and collected the stack. "In one of your moods, I see. Maybe you should go out sometime, maybe go on a date-"

"No," she cut him off shortly.

He shrugged, making his way to the shelves. "Worth a try anyway."

Mizuki wandered out to the front, joining Chiisai. "He is rough around the edges, but you know he cares about you."

She pretended to be occupied by her coffee. "I know," Chiisai's words were flat.

The woman sighed, returning to the back. "So much youth wasted on the young..."

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Kakashi began his search for the mysterious woman once the Sun rose. With not even a name to go by, the ninja had spent the morning wandering the streets, trying to place her face on each person he saw.

With no luck, Kakashi headed to every bookstore in Konoha, trying to describe her face to the people who worked there. That was a dead end as well. Sighing, the ninja trudged to the library, trying to recover any fragments of his dream.

However, there was a distraction. As he glanced around the village, certain things seemed out of place. Everything felt two dimensional…Like it lacked substance. Something was off, and someone was taking great care of covering it up. In the ninja world, anything was possible.

As he neared the library, a familiar figure suddenly appeared.

"Eternal rival!"

"Gai?" Kakashi appeared startled. "I thought you were on a mission."

His friend grabbed him around the shoulders. "The mission was completed early thanks to the eternal power of youth!" There were tears in his eyes. "I've never seen such an eccentric team! Now how about a challenge?!"

Kakashi slipped under Gai's grip. "Not today, Gai."

"You always say that! I demand a rematch!"

The white haired ninja gazed as his friend, knowing full well that Gai had won the last challenge. There was no need for a rematch. His eye narrowed. Other ninjas seemed to be lurking around, walking casually but eyes glancing his way. It wasn't just the ninjas, but the citizens as well.

"Eh, fine." Kakashi stuck out his hand, preparing for rock, paper, scissors. The eyes looked away, satisfied by his response.

"No!" Gai smacked his hand away. "I want something exciting, something that can release this pent up youth!"

"What do you suggest then?" Kakashi asked unenthusiastically.

"A Taijutsu match! Fight until one of us falls in defeat!" Gai grinned ear to ear. "And no bathroom breaks this time!"

"I've got to prepare for a mission tomorrow," he lied. "Maybe another time." Before Gai could protest, Kakashi lifted two fingers and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

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Chiisai almost jumped out of her seat when a man appeared in a puff of smoke. Ninja just thought they could disappear and reappear as they pleased, she thought to herself. Just one more thing to add to the list of ninja nuisances.

The man had appeared five feet from the desk, his back turned away. Against her better judgment, Chiisai muttered, "Is it really that hard to walk through the front door?"

The person ignored her remark, remaining silent as he turned around. She could tell he was tall, probably more than a head taller than her. As the swirling tendrils of smoke cleared, Chiisai froze in her chair.

Only one ninja had white hair- the one that haunted her dreams.

She blinked slowly, her mind momentarily blank as his intense eye met her wide ones. She didn't hear Koshuu approach from behind the shelves or smell the coffee sitting in a mug beside her. All senses were locked on Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja of Konoha. Her heart seemed to beat faster, but that didn't surprise her as much as the images creeping across her vision, of Hatake (farm-boy, she had called him) holding her in his arms, his frequent hopeless sighs when she yelled at him, of his hands that were responsible for so many deaths delicately pressing a cloth to her forehead…

His eye seemed more intense than ever, his cold gaze seeming to chill her flushed face. For a moment, she thought she must be dreaming. The thought triggered something then, and before she realized it, she was whispering the words that felt so familiar though she didn't know why.

"…You real?"

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Frightened onyx eyes stared back at him. A wisp of brown hair slanted across her face, but she made no effort to brush it back. The face he saw in his dreams was now before him. The woman, who had first seemed irritated at his arrival, now seemed shocked.

Her posture was as rigid as his, for images flickered across his mind at the same time it happened to Chiisai. A concussion and a cold, a nurse had told him. Red in her dreams. Her small hand yanking his masks down, her thumb pulling on his lip. Her body limp on the cold cement ground, her hair matted with blood.

The puzzle pieces were dancing inside his head and only came together when she uttered those two words. It all came back then, the images coming together to form the truth. The memories hit him like a shuriken to the skin: sharp and painfully clear.

"Chiisai?"

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He said her name as if he knew her, like this was some kind of reunion. He took a step towards her, but she only drew back in her chair, a hint of fear crossing her face. This was a joke, right? This had to be a coincidence, nothing more.

Her usual indifferent expression shattered under his gaze. "…Yes?" Her voice wavered slightly, her fingers tightening around the seat of her chair.

"Hey!"

She jumped, thrown off by Koshuu's voice. His brown eyes were narrowed with concern, his eyebrows slanted with anger. "Get away from her! Chiisai, run!"

Chiisai and Kakashi both frowned. Why-?

Suddenly, five leaf ninjas appeared. She saw Kakashi's eye narrow, his body tense. Someone grabbed her arm. The silence came like a breeze, letting her for a moment comprehend the situation. Then she felt the chaos of it all as her heart began to race. Had they come for her or for him? Why were they here? She heard Kakashi's firm voice, "You're dreaming-"

Chiisai broke eye contact, her eyes now watching four shinobi attack Hatake. For some reason, she didn't want him attacked. He saved her once…

Hadn't he?

But then the ninja beside her lifted two fingers, making him and Chiisai vanish from the library, leaving behind the only thing left of her reality...


	9. Chapter 9

_Sorry guys, it's been awhile! I've been having some major writer's block, and there are still some kinks to work out with this story. Actually, there are a lot of kinks, but I'm sure you've noticed! Hehe I never actually thought this story would come this far along. I've been having trouble getting into Kakashi's mind to figure out his mannerisms and words... He's the complete opposite of me, so I can't really think like him. It's a good challenge. Anyways, you find out things in this chapter. But is it real? Or is it all just in a dream? O.o *cue suspenseful music*_

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Chiisai opened her eyes. No windows, neutral walls, wooden table with chairs… No decorations, nothing to dull the blaring light hanging from the ceiling. The ninja let go of her arm, ushering her to the nearest chair. Rubbing her now sore arm, she glared at the ninja and remarked, "How nice, I'm being interrogated."

He smirked before vanishing, leaving her alone in the small room. Her mouth dropped in response as her shoulders sagged. "Jerk." She plopped down in the seat, rubbing her temples as she tried to focus on her predicament.

So a man in her dreams appears at her workplace, looking at her with that creepy cold eye of his. And says her name like a freakin' caress. Then ninjas take her away and attack him. So someone knew Hatake was coming for her and tried to stop it. Okay. That's a good start.

What had Farm Boy said? Something about dreaming?

She shook her head, cutting off that corner of her thoughts. No, he wasn't Farm Boy. She was just spooked from her dreams this morning, it had her wound up and everything reminded her of that. He wouldn't know anything having to do with the things that happened when she closed her eyes at night. This had nothing to do with that dream, of Hatake discovering her most prized secret…

Too many things were happening to be coincidences. Nothing felt right. Though her rationality protested, she closed her eyes and let her mind wander. She dared to think the impossible, entertaining her thoughts briefly with the words, _What if?_

What if what just happened had to do with her vivid dream? If everything seemed so real then, maybe it was real. Her feelings for Kakashi seemed clear enough. That would mean her present self was living in a nightmare inside her own head, and her father seemed to be the culprit. But that couldn't be possible. He's dead. He was the first she killed using her powers, and he was never coming back…

_You're dreaming. _That's what Farm Boy said.

It had taken years of her childhood to be convinced what was a dream and what was reality. How many times had her mother gone half mad trying to convince little Chiisai that she was real, that her parents were real, that dying wouldn't wake her up? Chiisai had traveled down that road too many times, and acknowledging that she still was unable to tell the difference of the two worlds would kill all sanity she had managed to grasp over the years.

A sharp rattle on the door shocked her out of her thoughts as a massive man marched in, dressed head to toe in black. Morino Ibiki- the man, who as a boy, dreamed of Orochimaru twisting into a snake and slithering around him…And at the age of ten was so worried about the chunin exam that the feelings bled into his sleeping mind. He had learned at a young age that pain was a useful tool for getting things his way, as long as his conscious justified it.

"Kasaru Chiisai."

"Yes." She tried to ignore her rising heartbeat and her clammy hands. This man had no problem showing no mercy. Something serious must be happening if they sent him.

He sunk down in the chair opposite of her, his face stern as his appearance. "Do you know why you're here?"

"….No." She blinked and for a moment saw Orochimaru in the chair, his pale limbs sinking into his flesh as he transformed into a hissing snake. Her breath caught in her throat and she squeezed her eyes shut. Don't make eye contact. Don't remember his nightmares. It's not real.

"Chiisai?"

"Hmmm?" She flickered her eyes to the jagged scar on his cheek as she forced herself to take a deep breath.

"You seem nervous." His voice was hard, almost suspicious.

She recovered quickly. "I'm just a bit confused on what's going on exactly. How did you all know that ninja was in the library?"

The man cleared his throat. "We received a message this morning. We have evidence suggesting someone it posing as Hatake Kakashi."

Whoever was disguising himself as Hatake must have a death wish. Chiisai crossed her legs, trying to appear confident. "What does that have to do with me?"

"We believe it has to do with your father. Ninja easily make enemies, and your father was no exception."

She nodded casually, though her heart caught at the mention of her father. "So…Do you know the man who's posing as Farm-", she shook her head, "-I mean Hatake?"

Ibiki's eyes narrowed for a moment, unseen by Chiisai. His words were straight to the point. "No. It's likely someone wants revenge and is looking for a relative to kill as retribution. It's not uncommon."

Her blood ran cold at his words. A life for a life it seemed, that would be her end. Maybe the dream was a warning for her demise. Voice slightly unsteady, she asked, "So…Is Hatake alright then? The real one I mean?"

The interrogator tensed, but spoke with the same gruffness as before. "He's on a mission currently. You do not need to worry about him."

"Oh." But her heart wouldn't let her. What if he was hurt? What if someone had killed him? He couldn't be dead. He was one of the most capable ninja she knew. But did she know? Chiisai's hands balled into fists. Why was she fretting over someone she didn't know? Why were these feelings so deeply rooted when no memories existed? This wasn't normal. Unless that dream...

No, she thought. I am normal. This is real life, not fantasy. If I question myself now, it's all over for me. Goodbye, sensibility. Goodbye, hopes and dreams and hello insane asylum.

But her mind refused to yield to her protests. It kept wandering back to the man in the library, whose eye seemed so full of darkness but who said her name with such conviction. Who was the man behind the mask?

Ibiki straightened, pulling her out of her thoughts. "You will be under protection until this matter is resolved. Do you think anyone would want you other than for retribution?"

She smirked inwardly. Not really, I'm just able to hop into people's dreams and mess with their subconscious.

Chiisai swallowed, forcing herself to look him in the eyes. With a shrug, she only replied, "No. I'm just a librarian."

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Kakashi eyed the four ninja around him, all crouched with the readiness for battle. Unfortunately, Chiisai was gone. Cursing himself, he waited for them to make the first move. They came at him in one second intervals, each with kunais in hand. He flung the first two into bookshelves and used substitution for the others. He easily had the four down without a scratch on him in a span of seven seconds. In unison, the four slowly rose, turning to face their opponent once more.

"Well," Koroi's voice spoke through them, "you're a bit early to the party, Hatake."

Kakashi met the four head on, sparks flying off of their clashing kunais as he replied, "I didn't want to miss anything."

Kakashi continued to fight the four, trying to come up with a strategic plan. It was likely Koroi only attacked like this to keep the mask of normality on. Also, if he was already in control of many minds, his power might be limited. Kakashi wouldn't be able to hide in enemy territory this time. Koroi had control of everything, excluding he and Chiisai. If Koroi was playing the normality card, it was likely Chiisai would have been taken into custody.

"You know, it was fun watching you try to put the pieces together in the beginning," Koroi said as he jumped back. "I thought you might be a challenge, because what good is dominating the minds of Konoha without a little competition? I must say though," he continued with disdain, "you've haven't really surprised me yet."

Kakashi's eye narrowed as he punched a ninja through the wall. "So you were watching ever since the seal broke."

The ninjas came at him again, their faces plastered with grins as they replied, "I haven't just been sitting on the sidelines, Hatake. You think Chiisai would really be able to talk immediately after the concussion? I used Chiisai's own powers on herself as soon as I was free!"

Kakashi's eyes widened. Realization came as quick as the kunai slicing through his sleeve. "You wanted me to know from the very beginning. You were giving hints the whole time."

The ninjas threw up their hands in unison as they cried, "Of course! You were the only one who could make the game interesting!"

"Me?" Only two reasons: 1. Being close to Chiisai, 2. Sharingan.

The ninjas gave him a faint smile. "I see then. Do you know why her powers were sealed? Or who sealed them?"

"The Third…" The white haired jonin didn't finish as he attacked one of the ninja.

Koroi chuckled. "You two still have much to talk about then." The four ninja halted as Kakashi drove his electrified hand through one of their hearts. Kakashi straightened, ripping his arm out of the body. Two other ninjas disappeared, leaving the jonin with one Koroi.

The opponent crossed his arms, his voice only a mutter. "It wouldn't be fun to destroy you so early. Your mind is as traumatized as Chiisai's."

Kakashi glared at Koroi but kept silent. Chiisai's father seemed to want revenge in every possible way. He was going to break his own daughter's mind down piece by piece, brick by brick until all sanity had been stripped. He had waited eleven years and would wait more as long as it helped appease his lust for revenge.

Koroi gestured as he spoke. "Personally, I find it entertaining that you believe you can convince my daughter she's dreaming. Watching her sanity crumble at your hands is much more convenient than doing it myself." He flexed his hand. "I'm a busy baku anyway."

"Like I said before, you underestimate her." Kakashi was calm as he tried to retain any piece of information Koroi spilled from his lips.

"Oh really?" Koroi smirked at Kakashi, lifting an eyebrow as he spoke. "I'm not the one who has to rely on a rather weighty gamble. The only way you know how to defeat me is through Chiisai, which in itself is laughable." He voice strengthened as he continued on. "You are the only person Konoha can depend on as their village crumbles within their own walls, and you barely know anything!" He laughed. "The idiocy of the situation is truly remarkable!"

Koroi turned away from him then, lifting a hand in farewell. "I'll let you come up with something better then. Go find my daughter if you can, Hatake. I'll be waiting."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Chiisai stared at Ibiki, her eyes wide with shock. "You…Want to know what?"

Ibiki watched her carefully, noting her rigid posture. He leaned forward, his face set like stone. "Your father and mother both fell into a coma a week apart and died soon after. The autopsy could not pinpoint a cause for either of their comas. I would like to know if you have any information regarding that incident."

"Well…I…" she stammered, not sure what to say. She was positive Ibiki could hear her heart thundering against her sternum. "I…I thought I made it clear during that time I had no knowledge of what was happening. I was interrogated several times." Chiisai knew she was trying to close herself off. Her feet were tucked under, her hands drew closer to her chest…She was giving herself away just by sheer body language.

Ibiki leaned against the chair, making it creak under his weight. "Yes, I have that here as well." He gestured to a file. "However," he looked into her eyes, "I am not satisfied with the reports."

She could see his eyes gaping into hers. She stifled a sob as his mouth drew open in silent cry. Ibiki's body froze as a kunai suddenly protruded from of his chest. Blood turned his clothing even darker as it spread across his now shaking form. The smell of it made bile rise in Chiisai's throat as she covered her mouth in horror.

"Chiisai." His voice snapped at her, making her blink as she suddenly gasped for air. Ibiki sat before her, a look of concern crossing his face.

"Are you alright?" His hands were pressed against the table, as if he was ready to rise from his chair. Chiisai held up a hand as she tried to control her breathing.

"I-I'm fine," she lied. "Talking about this j-just brings back memories. That was a hard time for me." She silently flung a string of curse words at herself. Seeing a person's nightmare wasn't uncommon. Usually when Chiisai saw someone she wasn't seeing them, rather, their dreams she watched as a child. But this…this was incredibly vivid and was melting into the present. She needed to gain control of her mind.

Ibiki studied her. She knew that answer could only hold his approval for a moment.

"I know it's hard, but any information you can give will help better equip us. Though this is a closed case, many still believe your parents were murdered. Their murderer might be coming for you."

Chiisai laced her fingers together as she set them on her lap. The table blocked Ibiki from seeing them shake. "My father slipped into a coma while he slept. Neither me or my mother knew about it until we woke up. As I-I said in the other reports, my mother was not mentally stable after that." She paused, trying to swallow as she forced the memories down. "I was the one who found her unconscious. I thought she had given up on life, and her own mindset was what killed her…"

"But you have no explanation for your father's death."

She shook her head, though her heart was pounding yes, her whole body seemed to be crying out, "I did it! I killed him!" Chiisai fought to recover from her emotional state. She had to become an empty shell, just like back then. Don't think, don't feel. It was an accident. Just keeping convincing yourself it was an accident.

"I need you to tell me the truth," his voice rose with a warning. "I do not mind getting the answer by force."

Chiisai closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was time to mix truth with lies. She would get in trouble, but it was better than her other options. Chiisai's voice was clear as she confessed, "My dad was selling top secret information to other villages. He started during the Third Great Shinobi War."

Dum Dum Duuuuuuum

End

_Pssssssst. Hey you. Yeah, you. I suggest you review before I throw a purple pentapus at you. You'll get pentapox and have to be chased out of the city. Naw, but please review (if you don't want pentapox)! ^^ That's from Avatar the Last Airbender by the way. It's a pretty fantastic show._

_Also, where I wrote "Don't think, don't feel," should it have been "Conceal, don't feel. Don't let him know."? I really wanted to put lyrics in there, like "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?" Of course I also wrote this at 1 in the morning...  
_


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